How did THIS happen?
by lokinorsedeity
Summary: Anne thought she was going to have a regular vacation riding her bike around Japan. Instead, she gets attacked by a Hollow on her first night and her bike gets trashed! Now she works at the Urahara Shoten...but how will the Soul Society react to her?
1. Just my luck

**Just my luck!**

"Sumimasen, anata no jitensha baggeji kuremu," said the flight attendant. (Roughly it translates as, "Excuse me, your bike is in the baggage claim." If this isn't the proper Japanese, then blame the dictionary I used!)

"Arigato!" said the girl, a tourist from America. She was on her way to see Japan for the first time…and to make sure she had a way around; she brought her bike with her, (much to the dismay of the Customs Agency!).

It took hours, but at last she was finally in the one country she had always wanted to visit: Japan! She had her phrasebook with her; it had the translation and the Kanji form. She looked around until she found the symbols she wanted and got her bike from the baggage claim and went to the exit. She was so excited to finally be in Japan! She had just one problem to take care of, and then she was finished…she had to get her bike repaired!

"Stupid dad and his dumb hot rod! If only he had fixed it like he promised, then I wouldn't have to… ARGH!!" she grumbled inaudibly.

She looked everywhere and still couldn't find a repair shop. She searched until night fell; by then she was grateful that the bike was still useable! She decided to give up until tomorrow; jet lag had finally caught up to her. As she wandered around aimlessly, she noticed something was off…something in the air was very, very wrong! She took off her glasses to clean them, and that was when she saw it. It was the first time she had ever seen it, but she knew immediately what it was!

_-----_

_Woah…okay, I need to stay calm. There is a monster right in front of me, with a white mask that completely covers its face, a hole in its chest, and a second mouth within its maws. Either I suddenly gained the ability to see things in other dimensions, or…there really IS a Hollow standing in front of me! If I remain calm and walk past it without reacting, maybe it'll leave me alone…I hope!_

_-----_

She put her glasses back on; the image was blurry then became clear as she drew closer. The Hollow appeared to be fooled by her act…that is, until it spun around and tried to kill her! She got on and went as fast as she could…even if the monster _could _outrun her. She was tiring quickly; then she saw something that shocked her more than she already was. A Soul Reaper.

She slowed down and watched as the Soul Reaper went at the Hollow. There was only one problem with his attacks…they were too shallow to do any REAL damage! Suddenly, he gets thrown in her direction; he collides with her before she could get out of the way. The Hollow slowly approaches; he strikes at the Soul Reaper, knocking him out of the way of its next meal. In the end, it was her bike that saved her; the Hollow struck only to get its claws stuck in the now-broken bicycle chain which whipped around and struck the mask so hard that it cracked in two. She watched in silence as the Hollow slowly went away, bit-by-bit.

The Soul Reaper, still surprised at what had finally got rid of said Hollow, took out a memory replacement device; after he used it on her, she passed out, a very nasty bruise on her ankle and a busted up bike.

* * *

"And here I thought I'd seen it all," said Urahara in amusement.

"What…?"

"Don't worry; I'll make sure she gets back to full health! You go back to the Seireitei and deal with the everyday problems."

"Thanks…" mumbled the Soul Reaper.

"Now…what am I gonna do with you?" grinned Urahara. He picked her up and carried both human and bike back to the shop. (The bike was never heavy to begin with!)

"Kisuke-san, you're back early!" said Ururu surprised.

"Urahara-san, who is that girl?" asked Tessai.

"I don't know, but she was just attacked for no reason by a Hollow. It doesn't look like she has any spiritual powers or awareness…so why it went after her is anyone's guess."

"I'll see to the girl's injuries. But may I ask why you have a busted up bicycle with you?"

"This thing was hers; if she hadn't had this with her, she would have been eaten for sure. The bike chain broke right after the thing struck, whipped around and then hit the Hollow so hard that the mask split in two. Which reminds me…do any of you know what a bike chain looks like?"

"I do, Kisuke-san," said Ururu.

"Good…I need you to go get the one that belonged to this bike. I want to know how it destroyed a Hollow with no spiritual power of its own," said Urahara. Ururu went and fetched the chain and brought it back. For the rest of the night, Urahara tried to figure out what had really destroyed the Hollow.

"Urahara-san, the girl has a wallet in her pocket," said Tessai.

"How were you able to…? Oh," started Urahara. One look at her wallet and he knew how Tessai spotted it. It was hard to miss, since it was bright green, deep pink and had key-chains on the change purse!

* * *

Two days later…

"Ow… What…what happened? Where am I?" she said tiredly.

"Kisuke-san, I think she's awake!" said a young girl's voice.

_Wait a minute…Kisuke?! And that voice…it sounded EXACTLY like Ururu! Am I…there's no way I could be…!_

Her thoughts were interrupted at the sound of clogs hitting a wooden floor. When she saw the shadow on the thin paper door, she knew immediately where she was.

"Good to see you're finally awake, Anne-chan!" said Urahara.

"I take it you discovered my wallet," she said dryly.

"How'd ya know?"

"Because the last place I put my ID in was that fashion disaster," she grinned.

"I'm surprised you even carry such an awful-looking thing," commented Jinta.

"Can it, Jinta!" she retorted.

"What the…! How do you…?!" said Jinta.

"That's for me to know and you to brood over. Besides, the only reason I even have that thing is 'cause my aunt gave it to me."

"That still doesn't explain why you even carry around that thing," said Jinta.

"I have a bad habit of misplacing things when I need them. It'd be pretty hard to lose that and still not be able to find it!"  
"Good point!" laughed Urahara.

-----

"So how did I get here and what happened to the bike. I seriously doubt it came out of _that _unscathed."

"What do you mean, that?" asked Urahara.

"That memory replacement thing chooses a random memory for seeing something you shouldn't, like a monster coming at you and some guy dressed in samurai get-up saving you. Too bad it only works on those who don't already know the truth."

"So you know what actually happened two days ago?" asked Tessai.

"Let's see, I got lost, have a Hollow chase after me and then I finally get saved by a Soul Reaper. Am I right?" she grinned evilly.

"How do you know that's what really happened?" asked Urahara suspiciously.

"All I had to do was look at the bruise I got from when it tried to grab me. It was pretty easy to figure out the rest. And don't look at me like that, Urahara-san!" she said annoyed.

"How did you know my name?"

"I know all of your names. The girl behind you is Ururu, the runt is Jinta, the one with glasses is Tessai, and you're Urahara," she finished.

"Impressive…though I would like to know a few things about you and that bike you had."

"Had…it was trashed, wasn't it."

"Pretty much. Actually, if you hadn't been under it when you were attacked, you probably wouldn't be alive. And it wasn't a Soul Reaper who saved you, it was your bike."

"Wha…?"

"No joke…the bike chain broke and hit the mask so hard it split in two. I'd say you got dumb luck," joked Urahara.

"Ironic that the first thing I had planned was to get it fixed…" she said amused.

"The way that piece of junk is now, you'd be better off buying a new one," said Jinta.

"Um…why did you need it fixed, Anne-san?" asked Ururu nervously.

"The gear shifts, right?"

"Yup…the person who gave me that bike was too busy working on his car to fix it like I asked," she said annoyed. She winced when she moved her ankle.

"I wouldn't move that too much if I were you. It was pretty swollen last night; I think it might be sprained," said Tessai.

"Figures… My luck has never been that good."

"What I don't get is how the chain snapped at the right moment and happened to destroy a Hollow's mask in the process!" said Urahara.

"It's called karma. Ever heard of it?"

"What goes around comes around…right?"

"Yeah. It seems that by bringing that old bike with me to get it fixed and ride around Japan actually saved me. That was the reason I was still outside at night…I was trying to find a repair shop."

"So by saving the bike it saved you?"

"That's the only thing I can come up with. Though what I still don't get is why I was suddenly able to see that Hollow clearly…I've never seen ghosts or spirits or anything before…so why now?"

_

* * *

I wonder…did my Bleach manga collection do something? It makes sense…in an Outer Limits sort of way._

* * *

"So why did you come to Japan, Anne-chan?" asked Urahara, changing the subject.

"Part of it was because I've always wanted to come here. But mostly it was to get away from my own family."

"Why's that?"

"Well, which would you rather do; go see another country on your own or continue with a monotonous schedule that only changed every weekend?"

"True."

They chatted a while before they finally came to the one question they were afraid to ask; what would she do now after she'd been attacked by a Hollow and had a sprain ankle with a busted bike?

"Going home is _definitely _not an option."

"You can't exactly get around on a busted bike and bad ankle."

-----

Before they could continue pointing out the obvious, Ururu came in with news that made Urahara's good day go bad.

"Kisuke-san, the light went out in the kitchen."

"Again? Great…good thing we have the electrician on speed-dial by now…" he grumbled.

"An electrician?! It sounds to me that your light bulb just blew out. That's no reason to call an electrician!" she said surprised.

"What's a light bulb?" asked Urahara, confused.

"You're kidding, right?" One look at his face proved he really didn't have any idea what a light bulb was.

"Then I'm going to guess that you have no clue how to change a bad bulb," she said dryly.

"Nope."

"Good grief…_how is it that you can make a Gigai and a Gikongan easy, yet you can't change a light bulb without help?!_" she muttered to herself. It soon became clear that she was trying to get up.

"What're you doing? You shouldn't walk with your ankle as bad as it is," said Urahara in concern.

"I know…but if you guys can't even change a bulb without an electrician, then you really need help," she said, wincing.

"You mean that you have a degree in the electrical field?"

"Wha… You mean have I taken classes on how to fix electronics."

"Yeah."

"The only electronics I can fix are computers, DVD players, and the occasional stubborn game console. You don't need to take any special courses to change a light bulb," she snorted.

"Strange…they always made it seem like it was really difficult."

"I think they just thought you guys were too lazy to do it yourselves."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Urahara.

"Ururu, do you know what the bulb looks like?"

"Yeah…the electrician man usually has it in his hand when he comes down to get rid of the bad one."

"Can you get me one that hasn't been used? I know how to change them and it won't cost anything to do it," she said with a grin.

* * *

Tessai held her up; Ururu brought the bulb and handed it to her. She unscrewed the old bulb and out the newer one in its place. She looked at Urahara and said, "Try the light switch now. It should come on."

He flipped the switch and sure enough, the light came on. He had a surprised look on his face when she came down.

"Huh…I still don't know how you did it so quickly. The other guy usually takes thirty minutes!"

"He was probably checking the fuse first. There are two reasons why the lights would go out; either the fuse blew or the bulb went bad."

"Well, at least I don't have to pay the usual 1500 yen!"

"The only thing you had to pay was for a new bulb. Good thing you sell them at your store."

"Yeah really…" muttered Urahara.

"So tell me Anne-san…was your bike the only thing you brought on your trip?" asked Tessai.

"Actually no…I brought two bags with me, but I couldn't get them when I left the airport. If I had, then I would have been a danger to pedestrians."

"So how are you supposed to get your stuff?" asked Jinta.

"I just have to call them and tell them the address and room number. I thought I was going to stay at a hotel while I was here."

"Do you know any other useful things?" asked Urahara thoughtfully.

"Yeah…"

"Well, if you're as handy as you were just now, then I don't mind if you stay here," said Urahara.

"Okay. I think I can handle that," she said with a grin.

* * *

She called the airport and told them the address to send her bags to. An hour later, a man came and dropped them off. Tessai took the first while Jinta, (under her EVIL suggestion), took the other.

"Woah! This thing's heavy! What'd ya got in here, bricks?!" he said as he attempted to pick it up.

"Nah…just the next best thing. Bet ya didn't think that _books _could be so heavy, did you?"

"Books?!"

"Yeah… That duffle bag is also my _boredom bag._ You know, something to do to pass the time?" she grinned.

"How many books do you have in there?!" said Urahara as he saw Jinta struggle.

"Roughly my entire Bleach collection…and the D N Angel volumes."

"And that would be how many?"

"Around 26."

"Yikes…you must love to read!" said Urahara.

"You kidding? They used to have to get me to _quit _reading during class!" she laughed.


	2. Many confusing realizations

**Many confusing realizations**

She was wiped out from all the things that had happened to her so far. The next week her ankle healed quickly. In less than two weeks after she was attacked, her injury was finally healed enough for her to walk. Mostly she helped around the store and kept Jinta in line.

One week later…

She was walking around, trying to find a bike shop. She may have lost her original bike thanks to the Hollow, but that wasn't going to keep her from riding! She convinced Urahara to let her get a new one…and in return, she'd make deliveries for the store. As she wandered around, she finally found the Kanji she was looking for! She walked in and after choosing the bike, paid and left the store with two new items; a bike and a helmet. She returned with a grin.

-----

"Wow, Kari-chan! Looks like you finally found that store you were looking for!" joked Urahara. (She told them that they could call her Kari-chan if they wanted.)

"Yup…though it took me over three weeks to find it!" Kari laughed.

"At least now you're familiar enough with the town to deliver. Which reminds me; the Kurosaki's asked if we'd deliver their groceries to the clinic since the kids are at school."

"Sure. Just fill up the bag and put it on the back. I'll make sure they get the delivery!" Kari said with a grin. She got on the bike and headed to the Clinic with the bag. She was greeted by Ichigo's father, who was still surprised that they started making deliveries! As she headed back, she noticed that the atmosphere had changed drastically. She paused…it was exactly like the first night she came to Japan; which meant that a Hollow was nearby!

-----

"Damn…I better get out of here while I can!" Kari muttered. She rode fairly fast and unfortunately, it was right in the Hollow's path! It roared and began to chase her; she went directly for the store and came close to actually making it.

"Woah…looks like you brought a friend home, Kari-chan!" said Urahara.

"Har-har. Mind getting rid of him for me? I have _no_ idea how to kill these things without having my bike destroyed and being bed-ridden in the process," she joked.

"Ururu, would you like to get rid of this one?"

"Hai, Kisuke-san!" she said before she attacked the Hollow.

"Thanks, Ururu. I don't get it…why did it only follow me?!" Kari asked confused.

"It's probably a coincidence. You just happened to be at the wrong place."

"I wish. The minute I felt its presence I immediately tried to head here. But it cut me off and tried to attack me!"

"I think it was just a coincidence, Kari-chan," said Urahara.

"If another Hollow comes after me, then is it _still_ a coincidence?!"

"Then it would mean that you're being targeted," said Urahara.

"Any more deliveries?"

"Nope…that was the only one so far. You can help restock until we get another one," suggested Urahara.

"Sure…I'll put the bike up."

XxXxX

She spent the rest of the day helping restock the store. When she did finally get another order, she promptly brought and went back to the store…and once again, a Hollow chased her all the way there.

"Do you _still_ think it's a coincidence?"

"This could become a problem. It seems that now is a good time to help you get something to defend yourself against the Hollows…"

"Yeah. So when do we start?"

"After you're ready. Unless you get another order, you'll be training to attack Hollows. Does that sound fair?"

"Yeah! It definitely gives me something to do!"

It took them three days to figure out an attack she could use; and it involved her old bike. The chain went around her waist like a belt, and it could come off when she applied spiritual energy. It whipped around and struck anything within reach, and it also applied to Soul Reapers! (This mildly surprised them both.)

XxXxX

Another week passed, and every time she left to deliver something, a Hollow went after her. By that time she had grown so used to them that she attacked without hesitation and went back to work. She was getting plenty of work too!

"What's for dinner, Tessai-san?" asked Kari.

"We're having ramen. What are you planning for dessert?" asked Tessai. (He did the dinner and lunch while she did breakfast and dessert. She specialized in sweets!)

"I was thinking peanut butter cookies. Do we still have all the ingredients?"

"How many deliveries do you have left?"

"I think only 4 more. I'll be back soon… (I hope!)"

As she pedaled around town with the packages, she noticed that the atmosphere had changed yet again…but it was different. It wasn't hostile or cold…it was warm and strange. She never felt anything like this before. She quickly delivered the third order and was about to finish her job. That was when she saw it; a black cat with yellowish eyes and a mischievous look.

"Hello kitty…are you lost?"

It made no reply, but it began to walk towards her. She grinned.

"I have only one more left before I'm done for the day. You can ride on the rack if you want," Kari said amused. It jumped onto the rack; she had the items in her left hand and finished her run for the day. She returned to the store and called, "I'm back! Urahara-san, I found a Kuro Neko I think you should see!"

* * *

"A black cat? Why'd you bring it back with you, Kari-chan?"  
Urahara came to the front and paused the moment he made eye contact with the feline in question.

"Welcome back, Mr. Yoruichi!" he said with a grin.

"I knew there was something off about this cat! The minute I spotted it, the atmosphere changed," said Kari.

"I'm surprised she sensed me," commented Yoruichi dryly.

"You done with the deliveries for today? I got six more for tomorrow," said Urahara.

"I'll go put this up while you two catch up," grinned Kari.

"Urahara, that girl…"

"I know. Her spiritual pressure is different than a normal human. I think it has something to do with the fact that she's a foreigner who decided to live here with us," said Urahara.

"Foreigner?"

"She came from another country originally as a regular tourist…instead she was attacked the first night she came and has been here ever since."

"What attacked her?"

"A Hollow. And here's the strange part…not only did she remember even after her memory was replaced, but she also got rid of the Hollow with an ordinary bicycle chain."

"How could she remember what really happened when her memory was replaced?"

"Well, perhaps remember isn't the right way to describe it. She didn't know that her bike saved her until we told her, but she got the rest of the details correct on her own."

"Why do I sense that there's something else that you're not telling me?"

"She knew all of our names without us even telling her. This is the first time she's left her own country, so we've never met her until recently."

"Odd…"

"Oh, and since Urahara-san forgot to mention this, I think it would be wise for you to know that I happen to love cats…especially black ones," said Kari from behind them.

"That slipped my mind," admitted Urahara.

"You never did tell me your name."

"You can call me Kari."

"Her real name is Anne, but she prefers being called Kari instead. Don't ask me why though," said Urahara.

"Dinner is almost ready, Urahara-san. Kari, shouldn't you be…?" said Tessai.

"I know. I just have to bake them and then they're done. That shouldn't take too long," replied Kari. She left and baked the cookies which were cool enough to eat after they finished dinner. (They had some amusement when Yoruichi tried her cookies and had a majority stuck to the roof of his mouth.) 

"_Why didn't you warn me that they were peanut butter?!"_ hissed Yoruichi annoyed.

"She didn't tell me what kind she was baking…otherwise I would have told you," said Urahara.

"Actually, I didn't think it would get stuck so bad in your mouth, Yoruichi-san."

* * *

That night, Kari had a strange dream.

_She was surrounded by nothing but darkness all around her. The air itself seemed to grow thick and heavy…she was beginning to have trouble breathing. Then she sensed something behind her._

"_Who's there?!"  
Silence was the only reply. She was starting to worry about where she was. Normally she enjoyed darkness and complete silence…but this felt wrong. She tried walking when she realized she couldn't move at all! The presence was back…and there was another behind it. _

_Wait…this is a dream, isn't it? So that means I'm the one who controls this world, not the other way around! This thought immediately crossed her mind a moment before the presence attempted to attack. She dodged and looked behind her; she almost gasped as she realized the thing was a Hollow, one whose name immediately popped into her head._

"_Grand Fisher," she said in a whisper._

**"Impressive. You know who I am. Too bad you shall die!"**

"_You picked the worst place to attack me, you slime-ball!" she smirked._

**"And what is that supposed to mean, little human?"**

"_It means that I'm not afraid of you. You shouldn't have chosen this particular place to attack me," said Kari calmly. _

_Grand Fisher only laughed as he struck again; she ducked, narrowly avoiding his attack. Kari had had enough of this by that time; she calmly focused on one thought which manifested itself in her hands. Since she was already surrounded by the darkness, the Hollow never saw it coming; a single black feather struck him and he howled into the abyss from the pain._

"_Leave now while you still can," she said coldly._

**"You think that one lucky shot can intimidate me?"**

"_Maybe not, but you should really choose your battles more carefully. If you hadn't picked this particular place to try and kill me, then you might have had a chance. I welcome the dark silence…it knows me and so I belong. You don't, which means I have the advantage."_

**"Maybe, but you still won't live to see tomorrow!"**

_Grand Fisher used his secret weapon; the one thing that had kept Soul Reapers from getting rid of him for over 50 years. It was…the lure. It quickly turned into the one person she could never attack…too bad there was just one problem!_

"_You're joking, right?"_

_Grand Fisher was confused. She didn't seem the least bit hesitant…though why this was so went beyond him._

"_You just don't get it, do you? You can't harm me within the dark silence. And as for your precious lure…consider it obsolete. This is MY realm, not yours. I control everything, including…you!" said Kari as she made the Hollow attack itself._

**"Impossible! How are you doing this…?!"**

"_Be gone, heartless abomination!" _

**"NOOOO!!!!"**_ cried Grand Fisher as he was forced from the world._

"_I…am the dark silence. And it is me. As it is, and as it shall be forever," whispered Kari before she woke up._

XxXxX

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was…Yoruichi staring right back at her.

"Wha…!"

"Your spirit energy spiked last night while you were asleep," explained Yoruichi.

"Is it possible to be attacked in your sleep by a Hollow?"

"I've never heard of it before, but there's nothing to say that it can't happen," said Yoruichi.

"Then that really was…"

"Was what?"

"Grand Fisher… he appeared out of nowhere in my dream and tried to kill me!"  
"What…!"

"Apparently he's a fool. Attacking me in _my _dream would never work," said Kari coolly.

"What do you mean, he attacked you?!"

"I mean he showed up, and attempted to devour me. I'm lucky he chose to try that in my dream, otherwise I'd be toast."

"You're not making any sense," said Yoruichi.

"I'm still trying to _make_ sense of what happened," replied Kari as she got up and made breakfast. She made the six deliveries that were already lined up and then told Urahara that she'd take the rest of the day off from riding the bike.

* * *

"I was wondering when you'd finally take a break! That gives us time to talk about what happened last night," joked Urahara.

She sat down and then told them exactly what happened to the best she could remember. When she finished Urahara was both surprised and confused.

"So let me get this straight…you went to bed last night and end up confronting a dangerous Hollow in your dreams? And you just happened to defeat it?"

"I didn't get rid of him; I only sent him away. Is it really so hard to believe that I can control my dreams?" she retorted.

"Yup."

"Well…I've always been able to control my dreams. I can turn a nightmare into something not so frightening. That's how I'm able to sleep even after an all-night horror movie marathon," Kari said amused.

"I've never heard of someone controlling how their dreams go. Nor have I ever heard of a Hollow attacking through one."

"Kari-chan, what did you mean when you said that the 'dark silence' was your friend? What is a dark silence?" asked Yoruichi confused.

"I think I can answer that one," said Urahara, "She has a hard time sleeping with the lights on and noise nearby. She usually asks Tessai or Jinta to turn down the TV; not to mention the fact that if you turn the light off at night her room is pitch-black."

"He still can't figure out how I see my way in the room at night," laughed Kari.

"So by dark silence you meant that you're used to being in a quiet and dark place."

"At night, yes."

"So how were you able to control it?" asked Yoruichi.

"Part of it was probably because it was in my dream; I think it was mostly due to the fact that I am familiar with the silent darkness and he wasn't."

"So what are we going to do now? If Grand Fisher really did try to attack you in your dream last night, then he might try again during the day," said Urahara.

"I doubt your little chain can handle a fight with him," said Yoruichi dryly.

"I know. The only reason I was even able to get rid of him was because he was on a terrain he wasn't familiar with. But if he came after me in the real world, I doubt I'd survive very long."

"You do know what that means, right Kari-chan?" said Urahara with a mock-grin.

"Uh-oh…a temporary loss of the delivery service," said Kari in mock-horror.

"Why did you start delivering to begin with, Kisuke?" asked Yoruichi.

"It was my idea actually," said Kari.

"We couldn't figure out a way for her to both stay in Japan and still be able to have fun when she got better, so she came up with the idea of making deliveries for the shop. It seemed like a very good idea at the time, so I agreed," said Urahara.


	3. The training begins

**The training begins**

Some of the customers were slightly disappointed after they read the sign which now sat next to the door.

_Note to all customers: there is a temporary break from delivery service due to the fact that the delivery girl is on vacation. It will resume as soon as she returns!_

"Temporary vacation? Won't people get suspicious when they see me riding on the street?" said Kari after she saw the sign.

"You'll be too busy training to ride, Kari-chan."

"Figures…well, let's get to work!"

XxXxX

Down in the underground room…

"What's the first thing on the list?" asked Kari with a calm grin.

"We need to see why the Hollows are so attracted to you. Your spiritual energy is just enough to defend yourself, but not enough to explain the attacks," said Yoruichi.

"How are we gonna find out what's causing the attacks?" asked Kari.

"Like this," said Urahara as he knocked her soul out of her body without warning.

"Hey! A little warning would be nice!" said Kari annoyed.

"Odd…your Konpaku doesn't seem out of the ordinary. So that rules that theory out," said Yoruichi.

"I may be weird, but even I could have told you that!"

"There must be something else then. What do you think it could be, Kari-chan?" asked Urahara.

"Maybe it's because of the fact that I have the mind of a child," she shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean I literally have the mind of a child; how else would I be able to accept the unexplained without panicking?"

"You _are_ more open-minded than most, I'll give you that. But I don't think you have the mind of a child," said Urahara.

"I'm not joking. I may have the wisdom of a teenager, but I behave more like a child than most people my age."

"We'll have to take your word for that," interrupted Yoruichi impatiently.

"Well, how would you like to increase your spiritual energy, Kari-chan?" asked Urahara.

"I'd love to, but that would mean I'd have to fight Ururu," said Kari.

"How'd ya know that?"

"I know more than I let on. Let me guess, I have to survive the first punch and manage to land just a hit on her, right?"

"…"

"What're we waiting for?" grinned Kari evilly.

* * *

Ururu came down and got the items needed for the exercise. She recognized them instantly; her only reaction?

"I hope you two don't expect me to use that weird phrase to activate these," she said dryly.

"You can begin when you're ready, Kari-chan!" said Urahara.

"Don't hold back, okay Ururu?" said Kari before she put the gloves on.

Ururu came at her with the full intent to kill her; Kari calmly ducked her attacks and blocked a few with a little luck. Urahara and Yoruichi were impressed…they didn't expect Kari to do so well on her first try! In fact, it almost seemed like she was dancing to a silent beat.

Ururu managed to land a hit; Kari was sent flying and somehow managed to land on her feet. She went at Ururu at full speed and managed to graze the girl's cheek. Before Ururu could react, Urahara called the fight off.

"Impressive footwork, Kari-chan! Lesson one is complete!"

"I can still fight though," said Kari.

"Is that so? Well, then I'll be your opponent this time. You can call it off at any time," said Urahara.

"Works for me," replied Kari as she removed the gloves. Urahara had his cane ready and drew out the sword that lay hidden within.

"_Awaken, Benihime, the Red Princess,"_ Kari said without thinking. Much to everyone's shock, the sword's initial release activated!

"What the…?! How did you…?"

"Told ya I knew more than I let on. Though I have to admit, I never expected your Zanpaku-to to actually activate!" admitted Kari.

"We'll figure this out later. Ready when you are, Kari-chan."

"Let's go!" said Kari as she charged at him.

He dodged and then tried to strike her while she recovered from her initial attack. She narrowly avoided his Zanpaku-to; then she went at him again. Much to his amusement, Kari seemed to prefer offensive while she fought him. When she fought Ururu, she used mostly defensive. That was when he noticed something strange about the way she came at him. It almost seemed as though she was letting something other than her instinct guide her movement.

Before he could react, she managed to knock Benihime from him; he wasn't quick enough to prevent his sword from falling into her hands. He turned as she prepared to use his own Zanpaku-to against him…though she didn't even use any of Benihime's attacks.

"I'm actually impressed that you managed to take Benihime from me. But it seems that the activation of her initial release was just a fluke."

"Ironic that this is the first time I've ever used a sword," she said dryly.

-----

**Who're you supposed to be?**

_What the… Benihime, I presume?_

**You can hear me?!**

_Apparently…_

**Let's see if you can use my attack as well. I assume you know how to attack, don't you?**

_Just watch me._

-----

"I recommend you get ready to get out of the way, Urahara-san," said Kari as she prepared to use Benihime's attack.

"Thanks for the heads up."

"_Nake, Benihime!"_ said Kari clearly and calmly. Sure enough, a strange blast of spirit energy shot from the sword close to Urahara!

"I don't believe it! How did you…?!"

"If you think that's unnerving, then I guess I shouldn't mention Benihime's reaction," said Kari.

"You could talk to my Zanpaku-to?!"

"I think that now would be a good time to call it quits for the day…" said Kari as she tossed Benihime to Urahara.

"This is getting very confusing…"

"So what do we do? Should we continue or what?" asked Kari.

"I say we keep going. Only neither of us will use anything other than our fists," said Urahara finally.

"In other words we do hand-to-hand combat until one admits defeat?" asked Kari.

"Exactly."

"Works for me. Mr. Yoruichi, can you keep an eye on the weapons?"

"Sure."

"I'm ready when you are, Urahara-san," said Kari after she put her chain down next to Yoruichi. Urahara sat Benihime down beside the feline as well.

Kari took the first strike, Urahara ducked and sent one of his own. Pretty soon it became clear that hand-to-hand combat wasn't their strong suit. Their moves were slow and very sloppy. Both were quickly tiring from the exercise…though Kari had a secret that they didn't suspect.

At first, it didn't appear as though anything had changed…then Kari's moves became better for no reason.

"Kari, were you holding back on me before?" asked Urahara after he narrowly avoided her kick.

"No…I used the wrong tactic while fighting is all," said Kari vaguely. Her attacks became more accurate and faster than they were before. Neither Yoruichi nor Urahara could figure out what was going on. It wasn't until Urahara came close to her that he realized she had something in her ear.

XxXxX

"All right Kari, what do you have in your ear?" said Urahara.

"Ack…I was hoping you wouldn't notice!" said Kari in dismay. She paused for a moment before she took out a strange circular device from her right ear. It took them a moment to realize that it was playing music.

"Sorry…I forgot to take my headphones off. I thought I turned my CD player off, but I accidentally hit play. That's why my moves got better so suddenly," she said apologetically.

"You were listening to music while you attacked me? That doesn't make any sense…"

"I don't think she thought of it as an attack. Let me guess…you were letting your body move to the sound of the beat," said Yoruichi.

"Yup…I hope you're not mad at me for not taking them off, Urahara-san," said Kari.

"Well technically you weren't doing anything wrong. A CD player and headphones don't exactly count as a weapon unless you throw them; and all you did was listen to your music," said Urahara.

"So do you guys want me to take it off so we can continue or what?"

"Actually, I think we can continue this and still let you listen to your music. I think we have a CD player upstairs; we can play it on that," said Urahara.

"I just hope you guys can handle my music," grinned Kari. (Uh-oh… Urahara and Yoruichi are going to regret this!)

After an hour of listening to her CD and fighting at the same time, Urahara admitted defeat. Both were exhausted from fighting; Kari's spiritual energy had gone up quite a bit, but she still needed to work on it. Yoruichi looked at her and said, "You have a strange taste for music."

"Actually, that was a mix CD we were listening to. What did you think?" asked Kari.

"It had a fairly good beat to it. I can see why you were listening to it and fighting."

"Where did you get it?" asked Yoruichi.

"I made it. I wanted to listen to my favorite songs and still have a wide variety," said Kari.

"You definitely had a wide variety! No two songs came from the same singer," laughed Urahara.

"How long is that thing anyway?"

"About 77 minutes. I could only fit 80 minutes on it, so I had to choose what I put on it carefully."

"How would you like to go to Lesson two tomorrow?"

"I'm not that naïve… If I can't pass Lesson two I become a Hollow!" said Kari annoyed.

"How did you…?"

"I don't feel like saying right now. Besides, I seriously doubt that I even _have_ Soul Reaper powers," said Kari.

"Well, since we're done for the day, I suggest we go back upstairs and have a little talk about what happened with Benihime earlier."

"Why do I have a feeling that this will _not _end well?" said Kari dismayed.

Yoruichi jumped onto her shoulder as she went up the long ladder…


	4. Is knowing too much a good thing?

**Is knowing too much a good thing?**

Back upstairs…

"First you get attacked by Hollows almost everyday for no reason, then you sense Yoruichi's presence, and to top it all off, you can activate my Zanpaku-to without being near it! What is going on?!"

"I…I have no idea. That was the first time I've ever held a sword, let alone use one!"

"You seem to have a knack for shocking us…" said Yoruichi dryly.

"By the way, how did you know what Benihime's attack was? Did she tell you or did you just say that out at random?"

"Um…I already knew what her attack was. I also know that she can create a barrier of blood-mist to defend you from attacks," said Kari.

"Next you'll be using her final release, am I right?"

"Actually…no. I have _no_ clue what her Bankai is."

"How many others do you know? Zanpaku-to and their attacks, I mean," asked Yoruichi.

"Let's see…I know Zabimaru, Senbonzakura, Hisagomaru, Zangetsu, Shinso and that's pretty much it, well at least off the top of my head."

"Are those the names of the Soul Reapers or are they Zanpaku-to?" asked Urahara.

"Zanpaku-to. I also know which one belongs to which Soul Reaper."

"This is getting ridiculous…" muttered Urahara.

"What, you're not going to see what else I know about the Soul Society?" grinned Kari evilly.

"I'm almost afraid to ask. How much do you know about Yoruichi and me?" asked Urahara.

"Do you really want me to tell you or would you rather not know?"

"I'd prefer knowing how much information you have on us now rather than later," said Yoruichi.

"Who should I do first? Yoruichi or Urahara-san?"

"Do me first. I might as well get this over with quickly."

* * *

"Okay then. Kisuke Urahara, former captain of the 12th division and founder of the Shinigami Research Institute, Zanpaku-to's name is Benihime the Red Princess, and is one of the few known female Zanpaku-to. You left the Soul Society after creating something that could be very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands, as well as a Gigai which would prevent a Soul Reaper from regaining their powers, rendering them virtually undetectable."

"Woah…how do you know so much?"

"I also know who took your place. Mayuri Kurotsuchi is the current captain of the twelfth division, and his assistant captain is actually one of his old creations using Gigai and Gikongan. Her name is Nemu Kurotsuchi."

"Impressive. How much do you have on me, Kari?" asked Yoruichi.

XxXxX

"You'd be surprised… Yoruichi Shihouin, former captain of the 2nd division and ex-commander of the Shinigami special forces, also known as the 'Flash Goddess' for her mastery of Shun-Po. You prefer to be in your cat form, and you are an old friend of Urahara. 22nd generational head of the Shihouin family, one of the four noble families and you earned a great deal of respect while you lived in the Soul Society. You prefer not to use the honorifics. After you left the Soul Society to help Urahara escape, you were succeeded by your previous protégé, Soifon, who is now the current captain of the 2nd division and the commander of the Shinigami Special Forces."

"Wait…if you knew I was a girl, then why…?"

"I didn't want to shock you so much when I first met you. You do sound like a guy when you're in your cat form after all."

"You still haven't told us how you know all this," said Urahara.

"I think it might be better if I show you two something. Take a good look at who's on the covers of Volume 6 and 17 of the manga I originally brought with me," said Kari as she handed them the Bleach manga.

"What the… Is that me?!"

"That's a fairly good picture," said Yoruichi amused.

"The reason I knew so much about you before coming is because of these books. (And the fact that I actually looked you up online!) You two were my favorites out of all of the others," said Kari.

"So in other words, we were just characters out of a graphic novel to you?"

"My favorite ones…I was pretty shocked when I saw that Hollow the first night I arrived."

"It does explain a few things…" said Urahara.

"The real question you should be asking is whether the fact that she knew so much about us is a good thing."

"I think we should deal with this later… Right now I think we've had enough excitement for one day," said Urahara.

"Agreed," said Yoruichi.

"I think I'll go relax by reading for now. I'll be in my room if you need me," said Kari as she got up.

"Well, at least now we know more about where she got her information," said Yoruichi.

"…"

"What are we going to do with her now?"

"Nothing…she's almost harmless; if you don't count the times when she has a bad headache and is in a bad mood," said Urahara.

"I think we should still keep an eye on her for now. I'll be with her if you need me," said Yoruichi as she went off after Kari.

* * *

As Yoruichi neared the room, she noticed that the door was left open just wide enough for her to slip through. She entered the room and saw Kari reading her graphic novels at an alarming rate.

"How fast can you read?!" said Yoruichi amused.

"I can read over 9 or 10 pages a minute. I'm a fast reader," joked Kari.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Go for it."

Yoruichi sat next to Kari and looked at the books she was reading. She attempted to read them while still in her feline form, to no avail.

"Need some help?"

"I'm fine. I'm not used to reading manga."

"It only took me an hour to get the hang of reading right-to-left for the first time," commented Kari.

"You're a quick learner then."

"Sometimes…though mostly it takes a while for me to do something if it doesn't catch my interest long enough," said Kari with a shrug.

"Why did you like me and Kisuke more than the others?" asked Yoruichi, changing the subject.

"You two cracked me up…and you reminded me of myself. Urahara-san was meddlesome, yet mostly helpful…when he felt like it. You enjoy cats and have a witty demeanor like I do most of the time…plus you seem to love messing with other people's heads through mind games," laughed Kari.

"True," chuckled Yoruichi.

"Actually, you two tie for my favorite characters…I can't seem to choose who I like more between the two of you."

"That's amusing to know…"

"I'm guessing that you're wanting to learn what else I know about the Soul Society…"

"If nothing else it would pass the time."

"The eleventh division, which is lead by Kenpachi Zaraki, the only captain to gain his position without being recommended by the others, is the one who is more likely to fight than talk. Division four is the medical division…the captain is Unohana Retsu and is considered one of the weakest divisions out of the Gotei 13. The weaker of the Soul Reapers who graduate the academy are assigned there. 12 is the research division, 13 is the only one who doesn't have an assistant captain, your old division is the Special Ops and number 10 is lead by Toshiro Hitsuguya, the youngest captain in the Soul Society right now," finished Kari.

"Do you know how to use any spells?"

"The only one I can remember off-hand is Bakudo 33, and I don't know how to use it."

"You know the incantation to Bakudo 33? That's a pretty high-level spell…"

"Want me to repeat it? I seriously doubt that anything will happen."

"We might want to go outside…just in case you actually manage to fire that spell properly," said Yoruichi.

"Whenever you're ready, Kari," said Yoruichi.

"_Ruler,_

_the mask of blood and flesh,_

_all things in the universe that fly,_

_that which names all,_

_In the name of truth and temperance, _

_Dig your claws into the walls of sinless dreams,_

_Bakudo 33: Pale Fire Crash!"_

Kari repeated the words exactly as she remembered them; as she expected, nothing happened.

"You really do know the words to the spell. Where did you learn that?"

"Heh…let's just say there's a reason why I love subtitles," she grinned.

"Eh?"

"Bleach isn't just a graphic novel, it's also an anime! I happened to watch a recording of it with subtitles; so I memorized the spell," explained Kari.

"I don't think I can take much more of this…" said Yoruichi.

"Likewise…" muttered Kari.

-----

"Oh, that reminds me! Kari-chan, what's for dessert tonight?" called Urahara.

"We still have leftover cookies, don't we?"

"I think so…"

"Well, you can eat those. I'm not in any shape to stand and cook!" she said irritably.

_I'm in no mood for anything at all right now… It's been a while since this has happened. Oh well…I hope he doesn't get any bad ideas._

"Well I hope you're in the mood for sushi, cause that's what we're having," said Jinta.

"I think I'll pass. Yoruichi, tell them not to wait up for me. I'm getting a real headache from all of this…"

"You and me both," said Yoruichi.

"I know I'm not supposed to go riding since I'm supposedly on 'vacation', but I think we really need to get away…at least for an hour," said Kari.

"Think he'll know we went riding?"

"He'll put two-and-two together once he sees the bike and helmet are gone, along with something to drink."

"I'll take…"

"Milk, right?"

"Smart girl…what're you gonna get?"

"Water. If I took a sport drink, then I'd use it up too quickly. I think we should wait until they start to eat dinner. By the time they find out we're gone, they'll have a hard time catching us," grinned Kari.

"I'll go tell them not to wait up for us at dinner then," said Yoruichi.

* * *

Yoruichi rode on Kari's shoulder; secretly Kari was grateful that Yoruichi didn't have the same irritating (not to mention VERY PAINFUL) tendency to dig her claws into her. They rode around for a while, enjoying the feel of the breeze. It wasn't until around ten that they returned; Urahara was a tad annoyed at them both.

"I thought I said no bike riding," said Urahara irritably.

"Hey, we needed a break from the training…besides, whoever has the key to the lock controls who gets to ride," said Kari amused.

"She has a point you know."

"So where did you two go?" asked Tessai.

"We just went riding…there was never any destination in mind," said Yoruichi.

"You do realize that you left your belt here, didn't you? What if a Hollow attacked?"

"They didn't even bother us. How many did we pass on our ride?"

"Around 4. We went right past them and they didn't even bother us. I don't think they even sensed her," said Yoruichi.

"Wait…she delivers packages and Hollows chase her; she goes on a ride for fun with you along, and they don't even realize she's there?"

"Eh…I've had weirder things happen," said Kari.

"So the reason you left was…?"

"We needed to get away from all the excitement from today. It's not like we hurt anything."

They went back inside and almost immediately went to bed. (Yoruichi bunked with Kari, naturally.) The next morning, Kari, Yoruichi, and Urahara all meet underground after breakfast. They went back to training; strangely enough, Kari was actually getting the better of Urahara. Pretty soon, it became clear that she no longer needed any more training…at least on Lesson one.

* * *

"Well Kari, it seems to me that you won't need any more training from lesson one. Think you can handle lesson two?"

"And become a Hollow if I don't make it?! Besides, in case you haven't noticed, most of our fighting was done while my soul was still inside me; we haven't done much in the way fighting in my Konpaku form."

"You're only delaying the inevitable," said Yoruichi.

"I have some serious doubts as to whether or not I even _have _the same kind of powers as you two!"

"Well, there's one way to find out," said Urahara.

"Let me put this as simply as possible…_try turning me into a Soul Reaper without worrying about becoming a Hollow in the process!"_

"Okay…cranky much?" joked Urahara. Yoruichi took one look at her eyes and knew that now was _not _the best time to talk about this.

"Since you were the one who brought it up, I suggest we see how long you last against Kisuke in your Konpaku form," said Yoruichi.

Urahara knocked out her soul and they went at it for a few hours. It seemed that Urahara was trying to figure out where she got her seemingly endless energy. (Yoruichi knew, and she sure wasn't going to clue him in!)

"Well, I do know of one _other _way to give you Soul Reaper powers," said Yoruichi.

"I'm aware of that other way. I know exactly what I'd have to do, and it would involve one of you temporarily loosing your powers," said Kari bored.

"Once again you amaze us with your knowledge," said Urahara, his voice having a hint of sarcasm.

"Yoruichi, do I have to be a Soul Reaper in order to learn how to turn into a cat like you?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Because I feel like turning _someone _into a scratching post," said Kari with an evil smirk.


	5. The darkness within

**The darkness within**

"What's with you Kari-chan?"

"You might want to back off Kisuke. Now is definitely not a good time to get on her bad side."

"Mind telling me what's wrong with her today?"

"Tell me Kari, were you delivering packages the last time?" asked Yoruichi.

"Yeah. Why is it that Urahara can't figure out the truth?"

"He's a guy…what did you expect?"

"True."

"I give up on you two… I'm going back to watching the store."

**XxXxX**

Yoruichi and Kari waited until he was out of earshot before bursting into laughter. It took them 15 minutes before they could calm down enough to talk.

"I can't believe he doesn't know!" laughed Kari.

"I can…guys don't understand the hell we go through every month. And since you were out of the store delivering the last time, he still has no clue!"

"I'm soooo glad you're a girl, Yoruichi."

"So what do you want to do now? It's too early for bed."

"Maybe we can spar each other?"

"Think you can handle fighting against a former Special Forces commander?" said Yoruichi with a cat-like grin.

"Yup…on one condition though," said Kari.

"What?"

"No Shun-Po! Only hand-to-hand."

"Fair enough…just let me switch into my human form and get some clothes on," said Yoruichi before she took her original form. After getting dressed, they faced each other and began going all out! Kari was all grins…she was actually having _fun_.

"So tell me, Yoruichi, do you really think it's possible that I do have the same powers as you guys?" asked Kari.

"With such an open mind like yours…I have little doubt that you do. How else could you have heard Kisuke's Zanpaku-to?"

"Good point…but what happens if I can't become one? What if I turn into a Hollow? I don't want to hurt you guys…"

"If you can't do it before you begin to turn, I'll try jumpstarting your abilities by giving you my own powers. That should do the trick."

"Is it possible to return to your body if the chain is severed?"

"Sometimes…if it is still connected, it is possible to return the chain back to its original state."

"Then if this doesn't work, there's still a chance that you can prevent me from turning?"

"Yup…so why do you ask?"

"If there's even a small chance that I can become a Soul Reaper and not turn into a Hollow, then I'm willing to try it."

"So you want to proceed to lesson two?"

"Yeah…"

"I'll return to cat form. I think it'll be more fun if we don't let Kisuke in on this," said Yoruichi.

"So what do we tell him?"

"I'm going to train you for three days nonstop alone. Kisuke's not the only one who can create a shattered shaft!" said Yoruichi as she turned back into a cat. They went back up and talked to Urahara. (He was just glad that he wouldn't have to deal with Kari in such a cranky mood!)

**XxXxX**

Yoruichi found the perfect secluded spot to train; it was dark, hard to find, and it had an uncanny knack for disguising spiritual pressures. After Yoruichi made the shaft, they went down and hid the entrance; they were completely alone…in a dark shaft that held only silence.

"Ready?" said Yoruichi before she knocked Kari's soul out and bound her. She severed the chain and waited for the first encroachment. It came ten minutes later. Much to her surprise, Kari didn't scream from the pain; the girl simply withstood it and merely whimpered.

"Wow… Kari, you don't have to prevent yourself from screaming. I can understand how painful it may be."

"The last time I crashed my bike by accident, I ended up with a really nasty scrape on my right kneecap. My mom was surprised that I didn't curse when she put the peroxide on it!" said Kari quietly.

"So you know how to withstand a lot of pain. But you know it is okay to scream if it hurts."

"You wanna hear something strange?"

"What?"

"I know that the encroachments are very painful to experience…that's why Demi-Hollows let out such a bone-chilling howl before they turn. But there's something strange…for some reason, I don't really feel that much pain at all."

"What do you mean?"

"It feels like something or someone is dampening the pain to bearable levels. I can't think of any other way to describe it."

"Maybe our surroundings have something to do with it."

"Huh?"

"You said once before that you're used to silent darkness, right? Well we're in a _dark_ shaft where the only noise that we hear is the sound of our own voices."

"So what you're saying is…?"

"The fact that you're in familiar territory might be calming you down enough that you don't even feel it."

"There's one way to find out," said Kari.

"What's that?"

* * *

The only answer Yoruichi received was silence. At first it was eerily quiet…then she heard a malevolent growl nearby. She immediately went on alert and tried to find her way through the darkness. Her eyes were blinded as light suddenly surrounded her. When they adjusted, the first thing she noticed was that there was something dark and angry nearby. 

"Kari? Where are…?" said Yoruichi before she turned and found herself standing in front of a caged door sealed with a sutra.

_(Come closer…)_

"Who's there?!" said Yoruichi worriedly. She was starting to like the place less and less already.

_(Come closer to the door…)_

"Who said that?! Where are you?!"

_(Come and see for yourself… The closer you get to the door, the sooner you'll get your answers…)_

"_Kyuubi-sama, she knows not of the jutsu that imprisons you…" _said a familiar voice.

"Kari! What's going on?!"

_(Interesting…one knows the truth while the other remains ignorant. Who are you, little mortal?)_

"_I am one who refuses to fear things I do not understand. My mind is not clouded by the fear that is born of ignorance. I embrace that which is unknown, unlike most."_

_(You do not fear the unknown… What makes you different than the mortal who imprisoned me in this accursed place?)_

"_The Fourth Hokage and the villagers suffer from a common ailment among humans. They suffer from a fear born out of ignorance. I refuse to conform to such ideas. My name is…Kari."_

"Kari, what the hell is going on?"

_(You still do not understand? She cannot hear you now. The only reality she can comprehend is this prison.)_

"_I believe you were shut inside the village idiot for the wrong reason, Kyuubi no Kitsune."_

_(If you free me, then I shall be in your debt. If you cannot, then leave before I loose what little patience I had.)_

"_I can't fully free you, Lord Kyuubi. The seal was invoked through a live sacrifice to the Death Gods. What I can do is allow you a chance to experience the outside world once more…however you will not be able to take your true form until the seal is removed."_

_(Come to me…)_

"Kari, don't get any closer! The creature within is a demon, and a powerful one at that!" warned Yoruichi.

"_I know…he is a nine tailed kitsune who was imprisoned inside an idiot. He is the most powerful of the nine tailed beasts…he may be a demon to you, but to me he is an ally."_

_(…)_

"Kari, think about what you're doing! If you let this Fox Demon out, then the outside world will suffer!"

"_He will not attack the others. He has been shut inside here for so long…"_

_(What is the true reason you approached me and not a Summoned Beast?)_

"_I prefer an evil demon to some goody-two-shoes angel any day. Demons have more fun!" _said Kari with a fox-like grin.

"Kari…!"

_(Very well…Kari. I will allow you to use my power as your own in exchange for even a small piece of freedom from this damn place. You do know what is needed in order for the agreement to become binding, I assume?)_

"_Yes. It requires a blood-contract…" _said Kari as she quickly bit her finger and caused blood to flow freely; she approached the bars and waited until the Fox extended a bloody claw. She willingly gave the Fox lord her blood and was granted power. The blood-contract was complete. Right as the Fox-Lord's claw returned behind the seal, Kari felt a surge of pain rack throughout her body; the second encroachment had begun.

**XxXxX**

"Kari, what the hell were you thinking?!" said Yoruichi upset.

"It was the only way I could test whether or not this was indeed the dark silence. By entering an agreement with the Kyuubi no Kitsune, I have only proven where we are."

"What's next?! Are you going to do that again until you become a Hollow?" said Yoruichi angrily.

"No…there is only one more I must choose. Kyuubi is the Darkness…now I must find the Light."

"Kari…? Kari!" said Yoruichi in concern as the girl blacked out. She would not regain consciousness until the fifth encroachment.

"So you finally wake up!" said Yoruichi surprised.

"How…how long was I out?!"

"Around 54 hours…give or take. So what now? Are you going to go Hollow or what?"

"Nope…now you get to see who the Light is!" said Kari with a weak grin.

"What is this Darkness and Light crap?"

"You'll see soon enough."

-----

The sixth encroachment came…the pain was becoming unbearable. Kari was surprised; she concentrated on the being she would chose as the Light, but the darkness that enveloped her refused to take her to him. She was instead forced to wait in silence until the final encroachment…which came too quickly for her taste. The entire chain began to devour itself at once…she felt pain more horrible than she could ever imagine as the hole emerged from her chest.

-----

_She was falling into the abyss of nothingness…she could feel nothing, she could do nothing. She was completely and utterly alone in the desolate landscape. Then she felt something snap within her; she could move in the world again. She tried to reach the light again to no avail. That was when she saw it…the Kyuubi no Kitsune along with someone or something riding it._

"_Who…who are you?" she whispered breathless._

"_You know me better than anyone. I am… (she hears only silence)," said the mysterious being._

_She couldn't hear what it said, but she realized that the being could be one of two things: the Light or her Zanpaku-to._

"_So you still cannot hear me, even when I call out to you with everything. You must find your Soul Reaper powers, quickly! Before the darkness becomes eternal!" it said with urgency._

"_How…? I have no idea where to look!"_

_That was when she realized it had begun to rain with feathers. She realized what she must do…only one of the feathers contained her powers; she had to find it before it was too late! She concentrated on creating reitsu, the Spirit Ribbons; she knew from instinct that the one dyed in red was the one she needed. She opened her eyes and saw…a lone white feather; the red Ribbon led directly to it! She reached for it and felt the second being fall beside her; it looked at her and said, "Quickly! The darkness will soon take over! Pull me out!"  
She grabbed the feather and pulls as hard as she could…a lone Zanpaku-to emerged._

**XxXxX**

The light that shot out of the shaft was near-blinding to Yoruichi. She went up and watched as the figure emerged from the dust. It had a Hollow's mask and a Shihakusho…or something close enough to one. It looked like the usual Shihakusho, except that it resembled the one Yoruichi was wearing under the outfit she had on. The mask itself was odd too; it looked identical to the face of a Fox Spirit. The figure took out the Zanpaku-to from its sheath and wrecked the mask; it somehow managed to remove the mask with cool efficiency. Yoruichi grinned.

"Lesson two is finally complete. Well done, Kari!"

Kari grinned as she said, "Thanks! I still can't believe it… I had the same powers as you and Urahara and never knew!"

"I did. You are one strange girl with a very open mind. It would have shocked me if you _didn't _have Soul Reaper powers! Ready to begin lesson three?"

"You mean am I ready to learn the name of my Zanpaku-to?"

"Yup."

"You bet! Let's go!" said Kari. Yoruichi charged at her full speed; Kari narrowly avoided her. When the former Soul Reaper drew out her own Zanpaku-to, she knew she'd be in real trouble if Yoruichi activated the initial release. Which her friend _was _about to do in three seconds.

_

* * *

What do I do?! I can't compete with Yoruichi if she activates her initial release! _

_You can if you learn to listen._

_I'm listening now. Where are you?_

_Open your eyes and you'll see for yourself._

Kari did open her eyes. What she saw was breathtaking…she was surrounded by dragons and creatures of all kinds. (Most notably foxes in particular.)

"_Where am I…?"_

_You…are finally home. Maybe my voice will finally reach your ears… I am… (nothing but static…though that was STILL an improvement!)._

"_Why? Why can't I hear you?!"_

_Your ears are blocked by fear. _

"_I'm pathetic…I know. I have never had much resolve."_

_Shameful…a coward beyond redemption…that's you._

"_So sue me. I have no resolve before…and I doubt that I'll start gaining one now."_

_(Turn to face her. The only thing blocking your mind is fear. Was that little talk we had in my cage nothing but air?)_

"_No. I guess now's the time to remember something I've forgotten from lack of use…" said Kari with a sigh. _

* * *

She stopped running and replaced her Zanpaku-to in its sheath. The advice Zangetsu gave Ichigo at one point went through her mind. 

**Face forward. Advance. Don't give an inch. Retreat and you will age. Be afraid and you will die!**

"_Tell me your name…"_

_I am…_

_**(Thought I'd give her Zanpaku-to's name away, did ya? I'm going to keep you in suspense until the next chapter. Watch out Urahara! Your delivery girl's got a new trick up her sleeve!)**_


	6. A new familiar and a new Sword

**A new familiar and a new Sword!**

_I am…Hikari Kage. __If you want to live, shout my name!_

**"Embrace the darkness, Hikari Kage!"** cried Kari as she drew her sword. A dark aura enveloped the sword as it went from katana-like to what Yoruichi thought was ninjato (or close enough to one.)

"Impressive. You certainly found your Zanpaku-to's name fast," joked Yoruichi.

"I would say thanks…but I have _no _idea what'll do when I release the pressure."

Yoruichi used Shun-Po to get out of the way as she released the power within the sword. What happened next neither of them could remember clearly as they couldn't see within the mixture of pitch-black darkness and blinding light. When it was all over, Kari was fast asleep; Yoruichi grinned as she said, "Lesson three, finally over with."

-----

"Well look what the cat drug in! Where'd you two go anyway?" asked Urahara.

"Har-har..." said Yoruichi.

"That's for us to know…" started Kari.

"And you to get your ass kicked by a girl," finished Yoruichi with an evil grin.

"Oh-ho! So little Kari thinks she can beat me after only three days of training, eh?"

"I don't think…I know," grinned Kari.

"All right then! Let's see how good you got after only three days!" said Urahara.

They went downstairs and waited until Urahara gave the signal to begin; Kari waited patiently until Urahara came within striking range. That was when she drew her own sword. Urahara's eyes went up a bit in surprise at the sight, but he dodged anyway as she struck.

"Looks like Yoruichi gave you a Zanpaku-to. Care to explain why?"

"That's not mine, Kisuke. That's hers."

"Sure it is…" said Urahara as he started to attack; Kari ducked and dodged with practiced ease.

"Knock out her soul and see for yourself if you don't believe us."

"Fine by me," said Urahara as he turned her from human to Konpaku. (He thought he saw her chain of fate attached; it only kept their illusion from falling apart!)

"I knew it…she's still not a Soul Reaper yet."

As the fight continued, it was clear that it was a stalemate. Finally, Kari decided to amuse herself.

"I forgot to tell you Urahara, but after hanging with Yoruichi for 3 days, I'm ready for lesson two."

"In that case, I'll have Ururu get the shaft ready."

An hour later…

"Lesson two, begin!" said Urahara with a theatrical wave of his fan. Kari fell down at least a mile deep into the shaft. (Tessai had already severed the chain.)

Urahara anticipated the first encroachment within minutes; instead what he got was a very large and disturbing fox-like grin from Kari.

"What the…?"

"Oh…I forgot to mention something before. Kari's no longer the only thing you have to contend with when it comes to fighting…" said Yoruichi.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"If Kari-san is not longer the one we have to worry about fighting, then who…?" asked Tessai.

* * *

"_Wouldn't you like to know…"_ grinned 'Kari'.

"Who said that?" asked Urahara.

"That…would be the thing you now have to worry about," said Yoruichi.

"_You can call me Kit…or Kitsu, whichever you prefer. I don't particularly care what you mortals call me,"_ said the fox.

"This is getting very confusing…" said Jinta.

"Not really…do you know what a _familiar_ is, Urahara?" asked Kari as she came up from behind.

"Oh great…it's bad enough with only one of you, but _two_?"

"_Is he always like this?" _asked Kitsu.

"Yes," said Yoruichi and Kari in unison.

"Will some one _PLEASE_ tell me what is going on?!"

"If you really want to know, you'll have to turn me into a Konpaku," said Kari.

Urahara knocked out her soul before she could blink. He shook his head in annoyance as he realized she had already finished the training.

"What did I tell ya? It was more amusing to do this without letting him in on it!"

"So true. Surprised, Urahara?"

"That you two acted without telling me and then decide to annoy me? Not really…both of you are skilled at head-games."

"I was pretty surprised at her Shihakusho when she first came out. It looked almost identical to the one I had when I was Commander of the Special Forces," said Yoruichi.

"That's it… who wants to go upstairs and explain things?!" said Urahara.

XxXxX

"_I can explain why I'm here after I get out. I recommend you stand a good distance back unless you want to have your head knocked off,"_ said Kitsu.

"Wha…!" said Urahara as something four-legged and (what appeared to be a 4-tailed) jumped out of the shaft. When the dust settled, Urahara's eyes widened as he realized he was staring at an orange, four-tailed, evil demon fox!

"What the…! Kari, why is the thing who pretended to be you a…?"

"Demonic Fox? Yoruichi still can't figure that out either. But he is pretty cool looking, isn't he?" joked Kari with a grin.

"I'll say! He be an evil demon but he still looks cool!" said Jinta.

XxXxX

Back upstairs…

"So let me get this straight…the fox-demon-thing is really a tailed beast who was imprisoned inside some kid."

"_Unfortunately…"_ grumbled Kitsu.

"And Kari's Shihakusho for some reason looks more like the one the Commander of the Special Forces wears, and not one that a normal Soul Reaper has."

"Yup."

"To top it all off, Kari's Zanpaku-to has a double initial release command."

"That sums it up."

"That makes about as much sense as Kari not wanting to be called by her real name!" snorted Urahara.

"_Kari isn't your real name?"_

"I liked the name Kari more than I did Anne. It sounded a LOT better than my real name anyway," shrugged Kari.

"What really confuses me at this point is why you have a fox demon as a familiar. What's up with that?"

"_Becoming her familiar was the only way for me to remain on the mortal plain with my own body. If I had any other choice I might have done something else."_

"Possession was out, since it wouldn't be much of an improvement from his current situation."

"What was your previous situation?" asked Urahara.

"_I was stuck behind some bars and a seal thanks to some damn jutsu! To top it off, the brat I was sealed in is a complete idiot! The fool just pulls pranks on his fellow villagers instead of becoming stronger!" _grumbled Kitsu.

"That doesn't explain much."

"He was sealed inside some kid for over twelve years and he couldn't do anything about it. I gave him a chance to be free…er, at least freer that he was. He agreed, and we came up with the idea of him becoming a familiar."

"So you gave him the opportunity to get out and he took it, even though it meant he'd be under _your_ control instead of the other way around? That must have been a hard pill to swallow," said Urahara.

"_Not particularly…she showed more potential as an ally than I've seen in centuries. Not to mention the fact that she showed a great deal of respect when we first met."_

"Besides, it's not like I'm going to be a jerk to others. I happen to like foxes…the fact that he's an _evil_ nine-tailed demon fox was just a bonus!"

"You mean four tailed," corrected Urahara.

"_No, she means 9-tailed. It was either I become a fox with four tails or nine. Since a four-tailed fox wouldn't attract nearly as much attention as a fully-grown, nine-tailed demonic fox, I went with four."_

"You're a nine-tailed demon fox?!" said Jinta.

"His proper name in Japanese is _Kyuubi no Kitsune._ Besides, even I know that four is considered very unlucky in the Japanese language!"

"_That was the main reason why we went with four tails instead of five or six."_

"I guess this means we won't be training underground anymore," said Urahara.

"When should we restart the delivery service?" asked Kari.

_-----_

_Delivery service?_

Yeah…in exchange for me living here, I make deliveries for the store. It was the only way he'd let me get a new bike and keep it here!

_I sense you'll tell me more later?_

Sure.

_-----_

"How does a week sound? Since you went behind my back and became a Soul Reaper without letting me know, you can't ride until we restart making deliveries," said Urahara.

"Fair enough. What time is it?"

"Almost 9 at night…why?" asked Tessai. Before she could say anything, the lights went out…again.

"Not again! Call the electrician," griped Urahara.

"Are you sure the bulb didn't blow?"

"It shouldn't have…you just replaced it five days ago remember?"

"I forgot… Ururu, see if the plugs work," said Kari. (They didn't work.)

"Figures…for once it's not the bulb that's gone bad."

"So you know what happened?"

"If it's not the bulb, then it's probably the fuse. If not, then we call an electrician. Where's the fuse breaker?" asked Kari. (Has the best night-vision in the room.)

"Beats me… I can't remember where the other guy goes before you came. He used to go into one of the rooms for around 25 minutes before he changed the bulb," said Urahara.

"Which room?"

"It was your room, Kari-san," answered Tessai.

"Figures… Urahara, do you sell fuses in the store?"

"What's a fuse?"

"You don't know what a fuse even looks like, do you?"

"Not a clue."

"Great… I'll go to the hardware store and get some tomorrow. Until then, I think we all need some sleep," said Kari.

"That reminds me…! I still haven't made dinner yet!"

_

* * *

So what's the deal with this 'fuse' thing?_

I don't know what fuses actually do…all I know is when one blows; the electricity to the room goes out.

_I've been away from the mortal world for too long…_

…

* * *

"Just my luck…you _don't _sell fuses. I'll be back in a little bit, okay everyone?" said Kari as she began to head out the door. Urahara stopped her before she opened the door.

"What?" asked Kari without turning.

"You can't go outside alone. What if a Hollow attacks you while you're out? You don't have the chain on to protect you!"

"_What's a Hollow?"_

"Kitsu, do you think you can kill something that's already dead? You know, spirits and the like?"

"_Don't know…I've never tried before."_

"Well, if nothing else I can ride Kitsu from here to the store and back," grinned Kari. (Even the fox had to admit that she had a point.)

"Um, Kari-san? I brought your chain out," said Ururu. She handed it to her; Kari put it in her usual place around her waist.

"Any more excuses?"

"Just be careful, okay? You don't have any Gikongan to go Soul Reaper in case something happens," said Urahara.

"You think I don't know that?! Don't worry, Urahara! I'll have Kitsu with me…and I did swipe something that will help just in case something _does _happen," grinned Kari. She walked out, Kitsu at her heels like a puppy. The walk to the store was uneventful, the return trip, on the other hand…

-----

_Kari…there's a disturbing change in the atmosphere._

Oh hell no…they would have to pick now to come after me again!

_Who?_

Damn Hollows…I don't know why they only come after me. Come on Kitsu…let's find someplace to deal with this nuisance.

_What the hell is going on?!_

-----

They went to an abandoned warehouse a few blocks away. Kitsu was still trying to find out what exactly was going on; his questions were answered a few moments later. A horrific monster with a white mask and hole in its chest emerged. He sensed Kari tense as she recognized the beast.

"No…it can't be!" she said in a horrified whisper.

**"Well, well…we meet again, little mortal. Only this time you won't be so lucky!"** chuckled Grand Fisher coldly.

"_Kari…do you know this…this thing?!"_ asked Kitsu with concern.

"His name is Grand Fisher…he's a Hollow who's evaded the Soul Reapers for over fifty years. The last time I saw him was when he tried to kill me in my dreams…"

**"You were lucky the last time we met…this time you won't escape!"**

"Kitsu, run!" said Kari as she took off the chain and prepared to strike the beast.

"_And leave you to die? I think not. Don't forget, if you die, I get stuck back inside the dobe again with no one to talk to!"_

**"It seems I'll have two meals for the price of one!"** laughed the Hollow evilly. Kitsu may not have known what the deal was between them, but he was beginning to like the Hollow less and less.

That was when Kari charged at Grand Fisher and attempted to strike him with her chain; he caught her weapon and had her firmly in his claws. Kitsu had two choices…either he allowed his new friend to die at the hands of the monster or he could save her. (He choose the latter.)

"_Let the girl go, freak!"_ growled Kitsu.

**"Or you'll do what? Kill me? I've faced stronger opponents than you, foolish fox!"**

"_What did you just call me?!"_

**"A weak, pathetic fox. So what?"**

"_I don't care what the hell you are…no one calls me a weakling! YOU WILL DIE!!!!" _roared Kitsu pissed. He charged at the Hollow, oblivious to Kari's cry of horror. Right before his claws could make contact, Grand Fisher sent him flying into a wall. He got up and tried again…only to find out that his attacks had no effect on it.


	7. Never enrage a Tailed Beast

**Never enrage a Tailed Beast**

"Kitsu! No!" cried Kari in concern.

**"Be quiet you little twit!"** said Grand Fisher as he went to knock her unconscious. He never noticed Kari slipping on a certain red-blue glove.

-----

Kitsu, come here! I know how you can deal with this bastard!

_What? My attacks don't have any effect on it!_

That's only because you're in a badly made Gigai. If you can get to my gloved hand, I can knock your true form _out_ of the body so you can teach this thing a lesson!

-----

Kitsu ran to Kari who knocked his soul out of his body. Grand Fisher didn't even bother with the fox; he just knocked out Kari without caring. He never thought to look behind him until he realized that the odds had changed against him.

"_You're going to regret hurting her…" _growled Kyuubi.

**"So you're now a Konpaku…just make the meal all the more sweet,"** said Grand Fisher darkly.

"_Let her go or else you won't be alive long enough to regret ever meeting me."_

**"A puny fox like you could never hope to defeat me!"** laughed the Hollow.

"_So you think I'm a normal fox, eh?" _Kyuubi chuckled so evilly that Grand Fisher actually turned to see the fox.

**"What…! Impossible!"**

"_You've just pissed off the wrong fox,"_ chuckled Kyuubi. His tail struck the claw which held Kari; he released her in a roar of pain.

Kyuubi made sure that Grand Fisher couldn't use her as a hostage as he lay her nearby his body. He turned to snarl at the Hollow; Grand Fisher had gotten over the shock and attacked the fox. He managed to land a blow on him, (just enough to create a lure anyway) and jumped back before the fox could retaliate. His claw enveloped the lure which transformed into the one being Kyuubi would never attack.

-----

"_What the hell is that supposed to be?"_

**"Let's see you kill that which you hold most dear…"**

Kyuubi looked at Grand Fisher for about a moment before he burst into cold, maniacal laughter. He struck Grand Fisher without hesitation.

**"What…! My lure has never failed me before!"**

"_That which I hold most dear? You are even more naïve than the dobe!"_ Kyuubi was laughing his head off.

**"But how? How can you attack the one thing in your heart that you care about more than your life?!"**

"_Because…you…are a…complete…fool! The one thing…I care about…more than my life…isn't that idiot!!!"_ Kyuubi said between laughs.

**"Impossible! This was the thing you held in your heart as something you could never attack!"**

Kari slowly came to and took one look at the lure…then she copied Kyuubi by bursting out in laughter.

"You're…joking…right?! Even I…would never…use _HIM_…against Kyuubi!" chuckled Kari.

Kyuubi struck the Hollow two more times before the monster finally made his retreat. It took them both 15 minutes before they could recover from laughing so hard.

**XxXxX**

"I can't believe he actually thought you wouldn't attack by using that guy as a lure!"

"_He's even dumber than Naruto!"_ laughed Kitsu. (He was back in his body.)

"He must have looked into your heart to find the one thing you held dear enough never to attack. Too bad he didn't know what you really are!"

"_Well technically, that WAS the one thing I would never attack…if you think about it."_

"He obviously couldn't tell the difference between something you hold dear and something you want to kill more than anything."

"_I'm surprised he actually tried that…"_

"Let's head back. I'm sure they're worried by now…"

"_Agreed…he-he-he…" _snickered Kitsu as they headed back to the store.

* * *

"What happened to you two?" asked Jinta.

"That teme Grand Fisher is what happened…"

"You were attacked?!" said Urahara in concern.

"Kitsu got rid of him pretty quick. You should have seen the lure he made to use against Kyuubi…it was _hilarious_!"

"I don't think getting attacked by a Hollow who's evaded the Soul Society for over 50 years as amusing," said Urahara.

"_You would if you had seen that idiotic lure. I can't believe he tried to use HIM as a hostage!"_ said Kitsu before he burst into hysterical laughter again.

"What happened?" asked Yoruichi.

"Grand Fisher knocked me out, then tried to use his lure against Kitsu…"

"_Unfortunately, he underestimated me. I must admit…I never expected to see HIM show up like that…"_

"Who is this guy that you keep talking about anyway?" asked Jinta.

"_The…"_

"Fourth…"

"_Hokage."_

"Who's that?!"

"He's the one who sealed Kitsu inside the idiot for over 12 years. I seriously doubt Kitsu would have any_ warm _feelings for the guy who sealed him inside some kid," snickered Kari.

"So why did the lure turn into him?" asked Urahara confused.

"Think about it…Grand Fisher turns his lure into the one person you would never hurt even if it meant your life. Kitsu is over 900 years old and doesn't have anyone who fit that description in his heart."

"That still doesn't explain…"

"_If I have no one in my heart that I actually care enough for to protect at all costs, then what does that leave me with?"_

"The person you hate?" said Ururu.

"_I hate the man who sealed me in that brat for over twelve years using a sealing technique that even I couldn't break free from. He is the one person I would attack WITHOUT hesitation."_

"So you thought that using him as a shield was funny…" said Urahara.

"You should have seen his face! It was priceless!" laughed Kari.

"Weren't you gonna replace the fuse, Kari?" interrupted Tessai.

"You're right! I completely forgot…one of you is gonna have to be in the room when I change the fuse to tell me if the power came back on."

"Kari-san! The lights are back on!" yelled Tessai. 

_THUMP!_

"Looks like she passed out…" commented Urahara as he went to investigate.

"_I wondered how that fool knocked her out without a concussion. Looks like he drained her chakra until she fainted."_

"What's chakra? Anyway, it just looks like he absorbed her spirit energy to me."

"_What's spirit energy?"_ countered Kitsu.

-----

Kitsu and Urahara discussed the different names for the energy that is within all living things. Though they did initially argue over what Kari had lost, they both agreed that her energy had been drained. Kari slept peacefully in her room which was almost completely dark and quiet. Then Kitsu rose up an issue of what happened when he tried to attack the Hollow in a physical body and how he couldn't put a dent in it.

"So you tried to free Kari while in the Gigai and it had no effect? That's odd…Gigai should be able to attack a Hollow like a Konpaku. I don't know why you would have a problem landing a decent hit on him."

"_All I know is that when I tried to attack him my claw went right through him…as if he air."_

"That makes no sense. If you can see a Hollow clearly, then you should be able to hit it with your claws. I wonder what went wrong?"

"_I don't know…what I do know is that if this happens again the outcome might be very different."_

"We need to figure out a solution before the situation arises again. If you can't hit a Hollow even while in a Gigai then we should fix it now."

"_How do you propose we do that?"_

"First thing I need to do is knock your soul out of the fake body," said Urahara as he prepared to use his cane on Kitsu.

"_WAIT!!!! I hope you don't intend on doing that in a confined space like this!"_ said Kitsu quickly.

"That was the idea. Don't worry, it won't hurt you," said Urahara.

"_You don't understand! My true form is too big to fit in this small room! Do you really want my size to destroy the shop?!"_

"In that case, we'll do this in the training room. Is that big enough?"

"_Close enough… As long as I have room to move then it'll work."_

-----

In the underground training area…

"Ready Kitsu?" asked Urahara.

"_Let's get this over with. I want out of this thing NOW."_

Urahara pushed the soul cleanly out of the Gigai. At first nothing appeared out of the ordinary…it wasn't until the dust settled that Urahara realized that the fox wasn't joking about his size. He was _huge_!

"_I still can't believe such a small vessel could hold almost all of my chakra without sustaining any damage,"_ commented Kyuubi as he made sure that there was enough room. (There was more than enough room for Kyuubi to be comfortable in it.)

Urahara whistled as he said, "Woah…you weren't joking. It's a good thing you warned me before I tried doing that upstairs!"

_"…"_

"I can already see one problem with this Gigai…it's too small and improperly made. That would explain why you couldn't hit that Hollow."

"_Is there any way you can fix it?"_

"There's no way I can fix this and get it properly sized for you. I'll have to make another one for you," said Urahara.

"_How long will it take?"_

"A month minimum…I haven't made a customized Gigai in quite a while. Better get comfortable, Kyuubi no Kitsune…you'll be down here for a while."

"_I'll try not to roll over in my sleep,"_ said Kyuubi dryly.

**XxXxX**

"Kisuke-san, what's wrong with Kitsu?" asked Ururu.

"Do you really want to know, Ururu-chan?" asked Urahara. She nodded.

"Kitsu-san is really a nice fox. I hope he's not hurt…" said Ururu.

"He's fine. Why don't you take Jinta down and go see him? He's in the training room downstairs," said Urahara with a grin.

"Why'd Kisuke-san put Kitsu-san downstairs?" asked Ururu.

"Beats me. Let's get down there before Tessai realizes we're not doing our chores!" said Jinta. (He didn't see Urahara standing nearby in the shadows. Uh-oh…)

"I'll go down first since I'm the oldest!" said Jinta.

"Ururu is older than you, so she should go down first," commented Urahara.

"_You don't have to send the runts down just to keep me company! I prefer being alone!!!" _yelled Kyuubi from the room.

"Ururu was worried about you," retorted Urahara.

Before Kyuubi could protest anymore, Jinta had already started his descent on the ladder. Kyuubi caught the boy's scent and immediately intercepted him before he could go down any further.

"Wha…!!!! Something's got me!" yelped Jinta in surprise.

"_Relax brat…it's only me!"_ grumbled Kyuubi.

"You can open your eyes Jinta. He's not going to bite your head off…yet," said Urahara.

"Woah! Is that really you, Kitsu?!" said Jinta in surprise.

"_My name isn't Kitsu! It's Kyuubi!!!!!" _growled the fox, annoyed.

"What's with all the commotion? I'm trying to sleep!" yawned Kari.

"_Looks like it's the dawn of the dead. Welcome back to the land of the living Kari…"_ said Kyuubi dryly.

"I'd love to see someone sleep through the racket you lot are making," Kari retorted.

"I was just about to start making Kyuubi a better Gigai when Ururu was worried about him. I thought I'd send them down to keep the orange-fox company," said Urahara.

"No wonder there was so much noise. I could have told you this would happen."

"Well you were asleep so…"

"Whatever. Come on Ururu…let's go see the cranky Fox Demon," said Kari.

"Wow…is that really Kit…er, Kyuubi-san?" asked Ururu.

"_This is what I really look like. Bet you weren't expecting this, did you?"_

"He is the oldest and most powerful Tailed Beast. It's only natural that he'd be enormous."

Kari made it halfway down before she lost her grip and fell. Kyuubi grabbed her with one of his tails and set her down carefully.

"_You need to be more carefully girl! If you die then I go back behind that accursed seal!"_

Kari was beyond hearing…she had passed out again. By the time Ururu made it to the bottom, Kyuubi had admitted defeat and let them near.

* * *

It took Urahara longer than a month to finish Kyuubi's Gigai. By then the fox demon's tolerance was nearing its limit. As soon as Kyuubi got into the new body, he was irritable.

"Well? Did I get the size right?"

"_It definitely suits me better than the other one. Are you sure this one won't have the same problem as before?"_

"Positive. You shouldn't have any more problems when it comes to dealing with Hollows. Ready to take it out on a test run?"

"_How exactly am I supposed to do that?!"_

"Why don't you ask Kari?" laughed Urahara.


	8. Kari's delivery runs

**Kari's delivery runs**

"By riding with me on my run. You can help me deliver the items," said Kari.

"_I hope you can handle having a fox demon on board."_

"If I can deliver with Mr. Yoruichi on my shoulder for an entire run, then I'm sure I could handle a demon fox."

Kyuubi had never been on a bike before, so he was skeptical that it actually worked. His surprise was that it actually held both their combined weight and that of the packages. Kari grinned when she scared Kyuubi by making a sharp turn while on a busy intersection. (He nearly went ballistic when she rode with NO hands on the bars for over two blocks!)

-----

"So how did you enjoy your first bike ride, Kitsu?" grinned Kari.

"_That…was…the most…idiotic…horrific…ride on…pieces of metal…with only two wheels!" _said Kitsu as he tried to get his heart back down his throat. He gulped when he saw the evil smirk on her face.

"I hope you weren't thinking that this is our last ride. You had the easy run…now it's time for round two!" snickered Kari.

"_You…are evil!"_ said Kyuubi in dismay.

"Thanks…I try my best!" laughed Kari as she rode back to the shop. (She cut him some slack and went easy on the return trip.)

-----

"How was round one?" asked Urahara.

"Me thinks the fox has already had enough," snickered Kari. **(BTW, that grammer error _was_ deliberate.)**

"After just one run? What did you do to him?"

"_She rode as if I were the one chasing her! She's a danger to those who are anyway near her way!"_ said Kyuubi weakly.

"So did the Gigai work or not?"

"_Would I still be here if it hadn't?!"_

"I would have Yoruichi go with her, but he already left. Try to go easy on him when you do the next round," said Urahara.

"_There's no chance in hell that I'm getting back on that death trap!!!!"_

"I was just playing with you earlier Kitsu! I normally don't ride like that; besides, you did want to give the Gigai a decent test run," Kari reminded him.

"_I don't think I can take another run…"_

"I'll do this round solo…you can ride with me on the final deliveries for the day."

"Hold it! You know that it's too dangerous to ride without something to defend yourself!"

"Urahara, knock out my soul long enough for me to hand Kitsu my Zanpaku-to. Will that convince you to let me go?"

"I don't know if a Zanpaku-to can remain while you're not in your Soul Reaper form…"

"Benihime is a Zanpaku-to and she doesn't have any problems with it."

"…"

* * *

An hour later…

"Not one Hollow bothered me. They weren't even around!" reported Kari.

"That's good to hear."

"Kitsu, you ready for the final round?"

"_I doubt I'll ever be ready to ride with you again…I'm not THAT suicidal!"_

"You can ride on my shoulders…the final package takes up the rack."

"Good luck…" said Urahara out of the corner of his mouth.

"_You said it…I'll be needing luck to survive this!"_ snorted Kitsu.

**XxXxX**

The ride was an easy one…and not as rough as his initial run. Kitsu was mildly surprised that it wasn't as bad. Kari laughed when he mentioned this.

"That's because I was feeling evil this morning. I rarely ride like that anymore."

"_You are definitely MORE sadistic than me. I wouldn't put Naruto through that! The 4__th__ Hokage maybe…"_

"My friend back in America says the same thing all the time. I actually enjoy playing head-games with others!" laughed Kari.

"…"

**XxXxX**

"So how did he fare this time?" joked Urahara.

"_I actually enjoyed it this time."_

"So you liked the way Kari rode like a maniac?"

"_She didn't ride like this morning. It was a LOT more enjoyable when she wasn't acting like a crazed idiot!"_

"I HEARD THAT!!!"

To ensure that Kitsu wouldn't make any more smart remarks, she made peanut butter cookies and watched as he struggled to get them off the roof of his mouth! (It turned out to be the main entertainment for the night.)

* * *

Kitsu rode with Kari on most of her delivery rides…give or take a few close calls. He finally got used to it after a few days; that was when they had a wake-up call that caught Kari's attention immediately. They were passing a street like every other day…that is, until they were caught in an explosion!

"Wait…it couldn't be! There's no way that today is…!" said Kari in shock.

"_What is it…? What's wrong?"_

A Hollow emerged from the dust cloud; Kari immediately parked long enough to watch a scene that she remembered all-too-well. (It was the moment when Ichigo first encountered a Soul Reaper.)

After it finally ended, Kari went back to delivering packages… she did her job quickly and quietly. She said nothing to the others about what would happen next. As everyone went to bed, she stayed up; she snuck out so quietly that even a cat burglar would be impressed. Right before she could make her escape, she felt something on the back of her neck twitch.

"Where are you off to so late?" asked Urahara suspiciously.

"Someplace you'll be in a few hours. I'm going to watch something very interesting happen at the Kurosaki clinic."

"What's going to happen?"

"Ichigo's family will be attacked by the same Hollow Kitsu and I saw earlier. Rukia Kuchiki, Byakuya's little sister, will be the one sent to get rid of it. In the process, she'll give up her powers so Ichigo can save his family."

"How do you know that is what'll happen?"

"Because the main character in my Bleach manga…is Ichigo Kurosaki. I know that's what will happen because that was how the series started."

"And you want to watch it happen."

"Yup."

"I would tell you to take Kitsu with you…but," started Urahara.

"Relax…I'll be out of sight and I will hide my reitsu so they won't even know I'm there. Well actually, the reason I'm going to watch it is because I want to see Ichigo break the first Kido spell, the paralyzing one, firsthand."

"Just…"

"Don't even think of saying it. You'll jinx me for sure!" warned Kari with a mock-serious look.

-----

The scene played out _exactly _as she remembered it. Watching Ichigo break the Kido was amazing; and seeing him transform for the first time was memorable. She waited until Urahara showed up to offer Rukia a chance to recover until she got her powers back; by that time she already left and made it to the store before them to get the Gigai. (Urahara showed her the one that she mentioned.)

During the delivery next morning, she couldn't resist hinting Ichigo about what was about to come.

"Don't think that this will be the last time you see Rukia, Ichigo. She'll be back sooner than you think."

"What'd ya mean?"

"You'll see when you get to school…" snickered Kari evilly.

"What the…!" said Ichigo in surprise as he meets Rukia in school. (You can guess what'll happen next.)

'_How did Kari know…?'_

Ichigo walked into the store and asked, "Have you seen Kari?"

"She's out on a run. Why?"

"I have some questions for her…" said Ichigo ominously.

"What did she do this time?"

"I couldn't resist giving Ichigo a hint this morning of what was about to come," answered Kari.

"You knew she'd be coming to my school…how?"

"It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. Rukia was stuck and we let her borrow one of the spare bodies that they use when they're weak on spirit energy. She also needed something to wear so we gave her one of the uniforms from your school. Besides, Rukia is too close to your age in appearance, so it was only natural that she attends your school."

"Well, there was that and the fact that she wanted to make sure you'd take her place until she got her powers back," shrugged Urahara.

It was then that Ichigo remembered something.

"Kari, were you around when that thing came after me yesterday?"

"I was there…and I watched as you broke a Kido spell with your own power. It was pretty interesting to watch you become a Soul Reaper," said Kari dryly.

"You were at my house and didn't even_ try _to help?!" said Ichigo annoyed.

"Chill, Strawberry-head. I knew what would happen long before you did. I knew that you were in no actual danger."

"The only people who can call me Strawberry are my friends…which you definitely aren't."

"Ichigo means 'strawberry'. Besides, its not like I know what will occur for the next few months…"

"What was that…? I didn't…" started Ichigo.

"If you're not going to buy something then _go_ _home_. I have to finish my rounds!" griped Kari. Before Ichigo could retaliate, she picked up the packages and went back to work. Urahara just shrugged at the look Ichigo shot him.

* * *

Kari's delivery runs were now more interesting than ever. Thanks to Ichigo finally becoming a Soul Reaper, she now had something to be on the look-out for. And when Rukia ordered a Gikongan (Soul Candy; renamed after the Shinigami Women's Association complained about the name), she knew that she better keep an eye on the school. Sure enough, a week later Urahara found out the hard way that he accidentally sold a Mod Konpaku…which had been put under a seek-and-destroy order for many years.

"Well, at least now I know to get to Ichigo's body before Urahara does. I already know where he'll be…" grinned Kari. Kitsu remained quiet as she headed to Yuzu and Karin's school.

"_Why are we here?"_

"Because the mod Konpaku will be here in a few short minutes. Hang on…I'm going to double-check the timeframe." Kari said as she went to the place where the three boys were skipping class playing video games. Sure enough, they were almost at the part where the mod Konpaku, (soon to be saved and named Kon), and since she already finished her last round early…

"_Kari…what are you…?"_

"Simple…I'm going to watch something."

"_You know as well as I do that Urahara wants that damn pill thing."_

"It's called a Gikongan. And if you don't pipe down you'll miss something interesting."

"…"

The scene played out…almost _exactly _as it had in the manga. Except for one small detail…she got to the pill before Urahara.

"Kari, you know we have to…"

"I know, I know…you have to destroy this idiot. But if you ask me, he hasn't done anything bad enough to kill him."

"That's not a real soul…"

"If he has a conscious mind that can think, then it's real enough for me," retorted Kari. Urahara swiped it and that was when the scene went back to the way it was. And then she had to change the scene again.

"Hey Ichigo…if you want to _repay _that guy for his little joy ride, here's a little tip. Look for something that you can use as a body, like a stuff animal or something," she grinned.

"What'd you…?"

"Just a little friendly advice…"

-----

She followed Ichigo until he found the plushie that she knew would become Kon. As soon as Kon realized Ichigo was in the mood to pummel something, she rode her bike past him just as he started to beat the stuffing out of the stuffed animal.

"Hey Ichigo. See why I told you to keep an eye out for a stuff animal?" she grinned.

"How did you know that the Soul Candy worked on plushies?" asked Rukia.

"Let's just say I'm a follower of Chronepsis…"

"Who's Chronepsis?"

"Try looking under Draconic Deities."

"Okay…"

"Go ahead and continue dealing with the perverted plush toy," laughed Kari.

-----

"Kari, you've got some explaining to do," said Urahara.

"Let's just say I'm a fan of Chronepsis and leave it at that."

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to deliver tomorrow."

"Fine…Chronepsis is a Dragon Deity who is also known as 'The Silent' and the 'Watcher'. A neutral party if you will," said Kari.

"What…?"

"I'm a huge fan of dragons…and one of the most popular games involving dragons is called 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Chronepsis is one of the dragon gods from the game."

"I can barely keep up with your interests anymore…" griped Urahara.

"At least I keep things interesting around here," joked Kari.

"I give up on you," said Urahara.

"June 16th…that's when an old pain-in-the-ass will return."

"Isn't that when…?"

"Ichigo's mother died. And guess who'll have the gall to show up and ruin things."

"Rukia and you."

"WRONG. She shocks Ichigo by showing up _before _he got to the grave. She stays out of the way after he talks to her. Someone else shows up to cause all hell to break loose."

"Who?"

"Take a wild guess…perhaps I should have said some_thing_."

"Grand Fisher."

"You better believe it. He shows up, takes both of the girls hostage, and ends up confronting Ichigo who barely manages to save his sisters."

"How does the confrontation end?"

"I'm not going to spoil the ending. But I _do_ know who will be the one to get revenge for Ichigo's mother."

"Who? And when?"

"I don't know when, but you already know his name. He runs the Kurosaki clinic."

"You mean Isshin."

"I know he was a Soul Reaper like you," said Kari.

"What else do you know?"

"What will happen when the last Quincy makes his appearance."


	9. Trouble on the horizon

**Trouble on the horizon**

After the incident where Ichigo learns the truth about what really happened that tragic day in June, Kari was bored. There weren't _any _orders coming in at all! She couldn't figure out what was going on until…she saw the sign next to a store that just opened.

"_Get your items delivered free of charge…same day delivery is guaranteed! (Unless otherwise is requested.) Our carriers are fast and friendly; there's no worry about stray animal hairs getting on your items!"_

"What the…! No wonder I haven't been getting any work. These jerks are trying to get rid of me!" growled Kari furious.

-----

"Urahara, we need to talk!" said Kari angrily. (Urahara made the mistake of trying to avoid her wrath.)

"I'm going out on a limb and say you saw that sign."

"Why didn't you tell me about that earlier?! And what was with that crack about animal hairs on items?"

"Everyone knows you always have an animal passenger with you on runs. I guess the fools figured that they could use that against you."

"I'll be back… I need to see what my competition is like."

-----

"Welcome to our store!" said the clerk.

"I'm here about the sign…why does it say 'no animal hairs on items'?"

"Our competition rides with an animal on every delivery…not to mention the fact that she wears a broken bicycle chain like it was a belt," snorted the clerk.

"It's from my original bike, idiot," said Kari.

"What's that? I didn't understand what you just said…"

"I said it's from my original bike. And the animal crack wasn't amusing in the least…he rides along to make sure that the packages remain on the bike until the items are delivered!" said Kari annoyed.

"Ego ga hanasemas," said the clerk. (Translation: I don't speak English.)

"What…?" said Kari in surprise. (She had switched back to her native tongue without even realizing it.)

Kari left a few minutes later surprised and delighted at the same time. After trying to talk to the employees in English, she realized that _none_ of them understood a word she said! This could only mean one thing…now she had the upper-hand again!

-----

"So how did it go? Did they throw you out once they found out that you're the delivery girl they're trying to beat?" asked Urahara.

"Nope…though I _did _discover something very interesting while I was there…"

"What?" asked Jinta.

"Not one of the employees or the delivery-carriers spoke a word of English."

"How do you know that?"

"Apparently I accidentally switched back to English without realizing it."

"Are you sure?!"

"Ego ga hanasemas. That was what the clerk and everyone else who works there said when I talked to them," said Kari with a disturbing grin.

"Why do I have the feeling that you're going to do something again?" groaned Urahara in dismay.

"You know who spends the most cash in convenience stores right?"

"Those who have NO idea how much everything actually is?"

"American tourists. Hardly any of them understand what the conversion rate is. If I can get the word out around the airport…"

"You want to put a sign that says 'Our courier is reliable, friendly, and can speak English?' I doubt they'll know what the sign even says!"

"That's because you're assuming that I'll let you make it. I know full well that most tourists can't read kanji or katakana. I'll make the sign…after people realize that the other delivery service can't speak a word of English, then I'll put the sign up."

* * *

After a month of slow tourism ended, the word quickly spread that the new delivery service couldn't speak any English. A week after the news had become clear to the tourists, Kari put up a sign that read:

**'Our courier service may be different than the competitors, but the delivery-girl _does _speak English! She can also give you an accurate amount from yen to U.S. dollars!'**

"Kari, I can barely even make a word of what that thing says!" said Urahara after he saw it.

"It's a good thing I'm around then," said Kari before she translated the sign in Japanese.

"How are you going to calculate the cost if it's from U. S. dollars to yen? You don't even know what the currency rate is!" said Jinta.

"I'll ask the bank in an hour. They're the ones who usually change the cash from dollars to yen," reminded Kari.

"I don't know if this ploy will work Kari-san," said Tessai.

"It will when the customers find out I know the locations of every hotel in the city," replied Kari.

-----

After Kari went to the bank and asked for the currency rate, they gave her a calculator that was specifically designed to estimate the amount. (She did have to ask for one when she found out they had those!)

In less than a week, her delivery service was back in business. The other service had difficulty trying to get back on top. (They never succeeded.) Kari was all grins as she brought one package after another to the tourist's room. She was very happy that her scheme to use the second best's weakness against them had actually worked. Then things took a turn for the bizarre.

* * *

"Konnichiwa! Welcome to my shop!" said Urahara cheerfully.

"I heard you had a delivery courier that spoke English…is that true?" asked the girl. (She looked to be in her mid-20's.)

"Hai…though right now she's off on her run. What can I help you find?" asked Urahara. It was around then that Ururu happened to pass by and saw the customer…who looked _very _familiar!

"Kari-san, how'd you get the things delivered so fast?" asked Ururu confused.

"My name isn't Kari," said the woman.

Before the conversation could get any more confusing for Urahara, he heard a set of brakes screech and a gasp of shock. Kari was back.

'_There's no freakin' way that could be…!'_ Kari thought in complete surprise. She calmed down and said, "Hey Rachel…long time no see!"

The woman turned and Urahara finally saw the resemblance between them. They could have been mother and daughter… (Except Kari was a few inches taller than the other.)

"I was looking for you!" grinned Rachel.

"What brings you all the way to Japan?" asked Kari.

"What the…? Do you two know each other?" asked Urahara completely lost.

"Why wouldn't we know each other? We're from the same state and county," hinted Kari.

Before Urahara could say anything more, he spotted a boy coming from behind Kari.

"Um, Kari? I think you should…"

"Don't even _think _of sneaking up on me, squirt!" laughed Kari as she grabbed the boy.

"I'm completely lost…"

"So did Shane come too?"

"He's at the hotel."

"Kari-san, who are these people?" asked Tessai.

"Oh yeah! I forgot! Urahara, meet my Onee-san, Rachel and this chibi-sized terror is my nephew Brandon," said Kari.

"I thought you two looked a lot alike…" joked Urahara.

"Rachel, meet Mr. Urahara…he owns the store. The big guy behind him is Tessai and the girl is Ururu. And…hey, Ururu? Where'd Jinta run off to?"

"He's at the park playing with the other children," answered Tessai.

"In that case, I guess you'll have to meet him later. Oh, and by the way, I finished the rest of today's runs," said Kari. She had a hunch that Brandon was going to say something, so she looked at him and said, "Brandon, my name is Kari here. So you'd better not say…"

"Aunt Mariah?"

"Drat…you said it."

"Looks like you'll be taking the rest of the day off, right Kari?" said Urahara.

"Yup…"

"I'll let you three catch up then."

* * *

As Kari finally found Jinta, she watched as her nephew played with the other kids. (She did have to translate the rules of the game for him though.)

"So Rache, did you bring Logan and Emily with you?"

"Logan's sick and Emily was afraid of the airplane."

"So they're at Shane's mom's?"

"Yeah…so when did you get a new bike?"

"A few weeks after I first got here. The one I brought managed to get trashed…I came up with the idea of a delivery service for the store as a way to get Urahara to let me keep the bike inside."

"So he gives you free room and board then?"

"He takes it out of the cash I make delivering. He gets seventy-percent and I get thirty."

"Why do you only get 30? Thirty-five I can understand, but thirty?"

"It's to cover for both me and Kitsu."

"Who's…?"

"Oy, Kitsu! You don't have to keep hiding; Brandon's not gonna bite ya!"

Out of the bushes came an orange-four-tailed fox. He went to Kari and looked at her before saying, _"So you say…"_

"Why is that…?" started Rachel.

"His name is Kitsu…short for Kitsune, or a Japanese fox-spirit."

"…"

"I'm guessing you're starting to wonder what's really gone on."

"That about sums it up."

"Well, to put it simply… We're in the Bleach series. You know, the one with the monsters called Hollows and the people dressed in samurai outfits called Soul Reapers?"

"You're joking right?"

"Nope…you do remember what the main character looked like, don't you?"

"Orange-spiky hair and his name was Ichigo…I think."

"You got it…speaking of which, he should be walking by us right about…now," said Kari as she looked in his direction. Ichigo walked past the park and didn't even notice the fox.

"You weren't joking. Why didn't he notice the orange fox?"

"Why would he bother staring at a four-tail orange fox? It's not like this is the first time he's seen Kitsu or anything."

"So foxes like Kitsu are common around here."

"No…Kitsu is the only one. It's just that everyone is used to seeing him with me on my runs. Normally I'd ride the runs solo, but Urahara won't get off my case unless Kitsu is along for the ride."

"Doesn't he trust you?"

"He trusts me alright. He just doesn't want a Hollow to come after me alone with no one around to help," explained Kari.

"Hollow?"

"Yes, Hollows _are _real. And for some reason, they seem to have taken a disturbing liking to me. They come after me all the time."

"Why don't you quit delivering then?"

"You know I love to ride my bike around. That was the main reason I brought it with me! Besides, the only thing I really have to worry about is if Grand Fisher comes after me again."

They continued chatting until Brandon got hungry. Then Kari took all of them to eat…her treat. Her sister, brother-in-law and nephew stayed for about a week before they finally went back. Kari was exhausted by the time they finally returned to their normal routine again.

-----

"So how was the surprise visit from your family, Kari?" asked Urahara.

"It was a blast…if you don't count the time when Brandon was almost eaten by a Hollow."

"Hey, why're you taller if your older sister is older than you? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Because we're half-sisters, genius. Same mother, different fathers. I'm just glad it wasn't my pain-in-the-ass dad and his girlfriend who showed up…or my grandparents."

"Why's that?" asked Urahara.

"My sister and I are a lot alike. But my dad's side of the family is a very different story. They'd never believe me if I told them that they were in a Japanese series that I happen to like. They still can't get over the fact that I love anime and manga!"

"Yikes…I can see why you like your sister more than them!" said Jinta.

"I love 'em, but I can't _stand _to be around them for more than a few days! They drive me up the wall faster than my nephews and niece do! And that's saying something."

"So what'll you do if they _do _show up?" asked Jinta.

"As long as they don't find the store, I'll have to deal with them until they leave…if they find this place…well, let's just say it won't be pretty."

Urahara changed the subject and they went to bed as usual. Kari had a bit of trouble sleeping due to the worry that her father and grandfather _might _show up! She finally fell into an uneasy sleep…

* * *

**(Next up is her own personal hell! Kari's dad and grandparents arrive in Karakura and go looking for her. Will she be able to keep them from finding out where she lives?)**


	10. Her worst nightmare comes true

**Her worst nightmare comes true!**

As they exited the plane, three Americans immediately went on the look-out for their own. They were trying to find (and/or convince) someone who had recently moved away to come home. They realized that she wasn't anywhere close to the airport and immediately went looking for Anne.

_-----_

_Kari was doing her usual route when something immediately caught her attention. At first she thought she was seeing things…then she realized that she was going to need a LOT more Advil to make it through…her father and grandparents. She finished her run and went straight to the shop._

"_We've got trouble…and its not a Hollow again!" she said out-of-breath._

"Kari? What's wrong? You look like you've seen Menos Grande!" said Urahara concerned.

"I wish it _were _Menos Grande! Hollows I can live with, but not _them._"

"Who's 'them'?"

"If you see an old man with a blue shirt and something embroidered on it, then stall him while I get away."

"What's going on, Kari-san?" asked Tessai.

"It's…my family again! I can't believe Gramps and Dad actually showed up!" said Kari in dismay.

"Wait…you mean that your…?"

"Yes…my father and grandfather are _here._ In this town! (Though why they brought Grandma with them is beyond me!)"

"What's so bad about them finding you?" asked Jinta.

"My dad and grandpa have a tendency to…force their ideas on you. I was barely able to get them off my back about moving here!" groaned Kari.

"How can they force their ideas on you? You're the most stubborn girl I've met…when you want to be," said Urahara.

"They hound you with the way they see things…and won't get off your back until you either agree or go mental. Unfortunately, I have yet to go mental on them."

"You're forgetting something, Kari-san," said Tessai.

"What?"

"Even if they _do _find out where you live, they can't do anything about it before going through us. Besides, we've completely forgotten what your real name was months ago!"

"True. But if they can't find me through regular mail, they know how to contact me through the computer!"

"I still don't get how you can actually get that thing to work for you and not us…" grumbled Urahara.

"I've showed you three times! How many more do I have times do I have to teach you before you actually remember it?!" asked Kari exasperated.

* * *

This was when she sensed someone coming their way…someone she knew. She turned just in time to see a familiar face pass by.

"If he asks, say that I'm on a run and won't be back until tonight! I'll be in the underground room until he leaves!" said Kari upset. She ducked out of sight when he entered the shop. (He was getting something for her grandmother.)

"Can I have it delivered?"

He gave the room number and hotel name to Urahara who said, "I'll be sure to give this to the delivery carrier."

The man left soon after that. Ururu went to the room and said, "Kari, he left!"

"Thank god… So what did he want anyway?"

"He just ordered something delivered to his hotel room and said that he was searching for someone named Mariah…I think."

"Good thing I changed my name! What did you think of him?"

"He seemed a little irritated…and he was a little scary."

"That's my idiot father for you…now you know why I didn't want him to find me."

"So…was that your father, Kari?" asked Urahara.

"Unfortunately…I never could get along with him."

"Well he wanted some medicine delivered to the room he's at. I got the name and room number."

"Great…he would have it delivered. And that hotel doesn't have room service! I hope my luck doesn't run out when I go drop the package."

"Why would your luck run out?"

"If my grandmother sees my face, then they'll _know _where I am and the last thing you want is to deal with my dad and grandpa showing up."

"So what makes you think that your grandmother is in the room?"

"She doesn't get around to well. She'd rather stay in the room knitting than go out looking for me."

"Why'd they bring her if all she's going to do is stay in the room?" asked Urahara.

"Knowing her…it was either take her with them or have to listen to her nagging!" laughed Kari.

* * *

She got geared up to deliver the item…and she made sure to put on something that even her family would never expect her to wear! Right before she was about to leave, Urahara stopped her.

"Here…you can wear my hat so they won't recognize you as easily. Just be careful, okay?" said Urahara.

"Thanks…and don't I always come back in one piece?" joked Kari.

She rode off in the direction of the hotel…and didn't see her grandfather walking in the direction of the store. She went past him and he never even turned towards her. Her disguise was working…so far!

-----

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" asked Sarah.

"I'm here to deliver an order for someone named Sarah Nichols," replied a girl's voice.

"I didn't…"

"It was purchased at the shop and the guy asked if it would be delivered to his room," said the girl before she could finish her sentence.

She opened the door; the girl handed it to her and said, "Have a nice day ma'am."

"I didn't get your name."

"It's Kari. I'm the one they send when a customer asks for his order to be delivered!" laughed the girl. Her eyes were covered by her hat and tinted glasses. She had a jacket around her waist with what she thought was random scribbling; she wore a pair of blue jeans that looked to be around size 10, her shirt had no sleeves and was held up by strings that tied around her neck. Sarah went back into the room and opened the package.

-----

"Yes! She didn't recognize me!" said Kari in a silent cheer.

As she rode back to the store, she waited at a crosswalk for the light to change. That was when she realized her father was standing beside her. He didn't react when she rode off and clearly showed no intention of following her.

'_That's two for three… hopefully I won't bump into gramps while I'm at it!'_

(Coincidentally she did…and escaped without him realizing who she was!)

* * *

"So? How did the delivery go?" asked Urahara.

"None of them even recognized me! Looks like your hat did the trick!" laughed Kari, relief was clearly in her voice.

"Good! Though I wonder why they didn't recognize you even with the hat and your glasses…"

"Probably because I wore this particular shirt and I dropped three or four sizes."

"You did? Funny…I never even noticed that," admitted Urahara.

"I'm glad you didn't. Oh well…even if they _do_ find me, at least I'll have a good excuse why I can't go back home."

"What?"

"When I lived in the States, I was lazy and was rarely motivated to do anything like get a job. They never let me live my life without criticizing me in several areas."

"What areas?"

"My clothes, my living arrangements, and my lack of interest in things they like, etc."

"Yikes…I wondered why you didn't want them to find you. That explains a lot," said Urahara.

"I'm taking the rest of the night off…I need to hit the Advil in my room…" said Kari wearily. (She stayed in her room for the rest of the night.)

The next few days were both easy and yet had many close calls. Finally…the one thing she had been trying to avoid happened. They found her! Though luckily for her, they found her while she was at the park with Ururu and Jinta.

-----

"Mariah! We've been looking all over this town for you!" said her father.

She made no response…or any indication that she heard him.

"Answer me!" said her father irritably.

"Go bug someone else!" said Kari annoyed.

"We didn't come here all this way to leave without seeing you, Mariah," said her father.

"Who is Mariah?! My name isn't Mariah, it's Kari!" she retorted angrily.

"Kari-san…this guy is scaring me…" said Ururu. (Her dad didn't understand a word the girl said!)

"Let's go back to the store… this guy has obviously lost his mind," said Kari. (The only one who speaks English in this segment is her father.)

"Mariah, where do you think you're going?!"

"Home…and back to work," said Kari in plain English.

"You…with a job? Yeah right!" snorted her father.

"Oh, and remember that bike you gave me? It got seriously trashed," said Kari, trying to keep herself from laughing at the look on his face.

"What did you do to it?"

"I turned the chain (which was broke) into a belt. And as for the bike itself…I still have it, but only for sentimental reasons," said Kari.

Right as he started to say something, a roar echoes across the playground. Kari's eyes opened slightly as she heard the roar.

"What the hell was that?!" asked her father.

"You're kidding… Don't tell me you actually heard that monster?!" asked Kari in surprise.

"Of course I heard it! Why didn't anyone else hear it?"

"Because very few people have a high enough spirit energy to even see the thing, let alone hear it!" said Jinta annoyed.

"Don't bother explaining it to him. Remember what I said earlier about my dad and grandparents not liking my love of anime and manga? Well even if you do tell him the truth, he still won't understand. That's just how he is," said Kari annoyed.

"Kari-san, did you bring a Gikongan or the glove with you?" asked Ururu.

"I don't like Gikongan…and I wasn't expecting to run into him again. But…I do know another way to kill the damn thing."

"Your chain?"

"Yuppers."

"What are you…?" said her father before she lost what little patience she had.

"Shut. Up. Dad. This is NO concern of yours…even if you did try to stop me, I'll still go."

"What…?"

"Come to think of it…I do recall taking a Soul Candy with me earlier. It might still be there…" said Kari as she reached into her pocket. She pulled out what he thought was a Pez dispenser with a cat on it. She popped one of the 'candies' into her mouth and waited; she staggered then lead Jinta and Ururu back to the store without a word. He never saw her turn into a Soul Reaper or the sword she now carried…

* * *

She disposed the Hollow quickly and then went back to the store; she handed Kitsu her Zanpaku-to and then retook her body. Unfortunately, she didn't know that her family was there until it was too late.

"Glad you came back Kari," joked Urahara.

"What the hell…?! Why didn't you warn me _before _I got back into my body?!" she hissed.

"I thought you'd see them when you came in…I didn't expect you not to notice your own flesh and blood."

"I am soooo gonna kill you!"

"Why didn't you even try to tell us who you were Mariah?" asked her grandfather.

"Simple…if you couldn't tell who I was at a glance, then I felt you didn't need to know. Besides…I assumed you three were on vacation and I didn't want to wreck it by showing up."

"We came to bring you back," said her grandfather.

"Back where? To the States and my old life?! No thanks…I'm staying _here_."

"You do know I brought Pepper and Hondo with me, don't you?" asked her father.

"_Those are the names of his two dogs. Both are a real pain!" _Kari said to Urahara after she caught the look he shot her. He left the room so she could handle them alone.

-----

"I don't care if you did bring them. I'm not going back and that's all there is to it!" she said angrily.

"You won't have a choice. Once Social Security finds out you moved away from the States they'll cut you off," said her father, thinking it would cinch the deal.

"And I should care _why_? I already told you I'm not leaving. I hope that wasn't your back-up plan."

"Fine…Let's see how long you'll be able to keep living here once…" started her father.

"Cut the crap. They already did that five months ago and I'm still here. I hate to break it to you dad, but you won't be the critic anymore; the same goes to you Gramps!"

"I hope you're happy with what you've done," said her father angrily.

"Shut the hell up about how I should run my life! I'm sick and tired of you trying to make me into something I don't want to be!"

"I really hope you're not too attached to your things…Your manager let me put both Pepper and Hondo in your room," said her father coldly.

"Feh…like I really give a damn about what those dogs do! And need I remind you of that little incident in Atlanta?" she retorted.

"You really have lost any respect you had."

"Whatever…oh, and by the way, Hondo and Pepper are the least of my worries…Kitsu has already knocked them both out cold for me."

"Who's Kitsu?"

"Oy! Kitsu, come meet the cause of my headaches!" she yelled; an orange fox appeared from the doorway and sat next to her.

"This…is Kitsu. Now, why don't we go get something to eat? It'll be my treat," said Kari, eerily calm.

* * *

Two days later they left to go back to America. Kari watched them get on the plane as waited until the plane went off into the distance before she left the airport. 


	11. Preparing for the Soul Society

**Preparing for the Soul Society**

"Well, I'm glad that's over with… It is over, right?" asked Urahara with a hopeful look.

"The only people who'd care enough about my living arrangements are gone. And my sister only came to check up on me since I've completely forgot to e-mail them."

"So it's over?"

"The only person who'd bother to see me now would be my aunt. And I can just call her and tell her not to come…even if she is the only one on my Dad's side of the family I can get along with for more than a day."

"Should I repeat myself?"

"Yes…it should be over. If not…well, let's just say I won't jump to stop a Hollow at this point. I'm running low on my sanity pills now. I better get back to work!" said Kari with a sigh.

"Let's hope things will finally calm down…" grumbled Urahara.

"Likewise on that!" laughed Kari.

She went back to delivering packages, and things finally calmed down. Until Menos Grande appeared. Then she had her hands full dealing with all the Hollows that showed up. She didn't want to miss Orihime's awakening…she wanted to see the six-princess protecting flowers appear!

* * *

When Ichigo finally caught up with Uryu, she showed up and waited for them to be surrounded by Hollows. Then she drew her Zanpaku-to and began hacking-and-slashing like a video game. She was having a blast…and the look on their faces when they realized she was responsible was priceless! She watched as the scene played out and then went with Urahara and the others to the shop. Things became quiet again…and then Rukia ran away to protect Ichigo. She didn't even bother going; she knew all-too-well what would happen if they caught her.

"So Rukia was captured. I told you that would happen," said Kari calmly.

"Yes you did. So what'll happen next?"

"Ichigo will make up his mind to save her, then you train him and help him regain his Soul Reaper powers, and finally, he learns the name of that puffed-up Zanpaku-to of his."

"What is its name anyway?" asked Urahara.

"Zangetsu."

"All hail the power of the Otaku girl! She knows all and still manages to shock us every now and again," laughed Urahara.

"Want to know why Ichigo just refers to you as Mr.-Hat-and-Clogs?"

"Yeah…what's with that anyway? I told him my name and he decides to call me that!"

"It's because his memory for names and the people they go to are seriously lacking. He couldn't remember your name so he just calls you Hat-and-Clogs."

"What're you going to do when this is going on?"

"I'm going to see if Mr. Yoruichi will teach me some new tricks…like Shun-Po for example."

"But he's training those two other kids. I seriously doubt he'll have time to train you too!"

"If he can't find the time to help me, then I'll just have to spend time packing. There's no way I'm going to the Soul Society only to have my ass handed to me by a Captain!"

"How're you going to blend in? The minute you set foot in there they'll know you're a Ryoka like the others!"

"That's where I'm going to need your help. You know what the uniforms for each division look like more than I do. It'll be easy blending in, but being able to blend in properly requires a decent disguise."

"So you want me to help you to create a disguise? What'd you have in mind anyway?"

"There's one division I know that I'll fit it without any difficulty. And it isn't your old one. Need a hint?"

"If you don't tell me then I can't exactly help," Urahara pointed out.

"I need to make a uniform that matches the ones worn in the 11th division. I can't do Kido or Bakudo yet, and it is known for having the more…violent members."

"So you want to blend in with a group of fighting idiots?"

"Yup. It's the only division that I know I'll be able to fit in."

"It's your funeral then. But what's your plan if you get caught?"

"Easy…I know for a fact that the Assistant Captain, Yachiru, has a similar taste in food. Or more specifically candy. And the captain, well he just wants a decent fight to the finish. So if I get caught, I'll be friends with both of them."

"I don't think Zaraki will fall for that."

"Have you seen their sense of direction?! I can find Ichigo easily…and since Zaraki loves a challenging fight, he'll be less inclined to turn me in."

"I seriously doubt you'll survive that division…"

"Would you prefer I go into _your _old division which is lead by a sadistic freak?!"

"Fine…I'll help you with the uniform. But only on one condition."

"What?"

"What does Ichigo do in my first Lesson?"

"Heh…he actually says that ridiculous phrase for the equipment!"

"That's all I needed to hear!" laughed Urahara.

* * *

Sure enough, she had a uniform to fit it with the real Soul Reapers. She had the attitude, the knowledge, and enough reitsu to really get her point across! As he prepared the gate, Kari got her things packed securely for the trip. In her bag was: vol.11-17 of Bleach, a LOT of her own homemade candy for Yachiru, a pendant that looked like a fox (which she made herself, after a good deal of trial and error), her CD player and some CDs, and a few extra uniforms to help blend in. As she finished her pack, she waited until a day before the gate was complete. Then she remembered something important.

"Shit…I almost forgot about the Cleaner in the gate! I better find something to boost my speed enough to get ahead of the others!" murmured Kari.

That was when the answer hit her. There was one easy way to boost her speed…too bad she couldn't bring it with her. Or could she?

"I've made the fox pendant so Kitsu can appear when I really need him. Is it possible to create a cycle one too? But how to do it without letting Urahara know… I know! I'll use my original bike!"

Kari spent an entire day molding and creating another pendant. It took a lot out of her, but she knew it would be worth it. She tested it to ensure its safety; it was ready in an hour. Now it was time to go to the Soul Society at last! But before they could go, Urahara had to knock out both Ichigo and Kari's soul; everyone was very shocked that Kari had become a Soul Reaper too!

-----

"Wow Kari-san! I didn't know you were a Soul Reaper like Ichigo!" said Orihime impressed.

"Yup…I have been for a few months before Ichigo. And my Zanpaku-to is a _lot_ easier to carry around and use," laughed Kari.

"Where is your Zanpaku-to?" asked Ichigo.

"Right here," said Kari as she held up her sword.

"What the…?! That sword is way too small to be…!" said Ichigo.

"Feh…this coming from someone who can't even seal his Zanpaku-to? I wonder how Zangetsu feels about his wielder…" she snickered.

_-----_

_He's an idiot who refuses to listen to me!_

_-----_

"Heh-Heh-Heh… Zangetsu is highly amusing…he has a better sense of humor and a better memory for people's names than his Soul Reaper."

"What…?"

"You aren't the only one who can hear that old man with glasses," said Kari.

"But…how?!"

"Beats me. But I digress…we need to worry about getting into the Soul Society right now."

As Urahara explained the gate, Kari made sure her things were secure on her back; if she was going to make it out of this in one piece, then she had to make sure her things stayed with her! Finally, Yoruichi showed up. She told them to run, and keep running once they were inside the gate. When Yoruichi was finished, Kari decided to warn the others about what they were about to face inside.

"Guys, whatever you do, don't touch the walls. If you do, then you'll be trapped for good! Oh, and Uryu? I don't recommend having the mantle on when we go in…it makes it too easy for the Cleaner to ensnare you."

"What the…?! Why would you warn him about that? It only comes once a week!" said Yoruichi.

"Because… I know that today's one of the times that you DON'T want to be inside the gate."

"You and your ominous warnings…" snorted Uryu.

"Hey, don't say I didn't at least _try _to warn you."

They entered the gate and sure enough, Uryu got caught by the walls due to his ridiculous mantle. When Orihime used her flowers, Kari instinctively braced for the fall down. She was the only one still on their feet when they landed.

"I told you that wearing that mantle inside the gate was a bad idea," said Kari in a I-told-you-so tone.

"You don't need to rub it in my face…" grumbled Uryu.

"You're going to put your back-up on now, aren't you?" she snickered.

"How did you know I had a…?"

"She has an annoying tendency to predict things before they happen. Don't ask…and no she is NOT a psychic!"

Ichigo began to run towards the Seireitei. Kari smirked.

"I'd step back if I were you…" she said a few seconds before the gates came down.

"Ouch…"

As Ichigo battled Jidanbo, she waited until he beat the giant before she got directly underneath him.

"Don't worry about the hammers Jidanbo… I'm sure I can find someone who will make you some new ones," said Kari kindly.

-----

She knew that Gin Ichimaru was on the other side of the gate. She waited until he attacked the giant before she blocked it.

"Impressive…you saw the attack before they did," said Gin. (He wasn't as impressed as he claimed.)

"Whatever Snake Face. I dare you to try attacking him again with your Shinso!" she retorted.

"So you know my Zanpaku-to's name…even though you're a Ryoka yourself. But that won't save you!" said Gin right as he prepared to launch Shinso again.

"_Shoot to kill, Shinso!" _said Kari clearly. The sword reacted in a bizarre manner; it attacked Gin _instead _of the giant.

"Impossible…how did you…?!"

"There's more to me than just a pretty face, moron."

Gin recovered enough from the shock to attack Jidanbo again. The scene played out as she remembered it…except she did something Ichigo couldn't. _She snuck into the Seireitei _before them!

_**XxXxX**_

_Yoruichi…I'm inside! I'll meet up with you and that moron Ganju later! Take care!_

You evil little! How did you…?

_Ichimaru was focusing so much on closing the gate that he failed to notice that I had slipped in. If you need me I'll be hiding in the eleventh division. Good luck with the cannon!_

And what happens when they see you carrying around that knapsack like a fourth division member?

_I'm going to hide it in that underground area that Urahara made when you were kids._

Thanks for the heads up.

**_XxXxX_**

"You there! What division are you from?" barked one of the Soul Reapers.

"I'm from the eleventh idiot. Or can't you read?" retorted Kari coolly.

"Prove it. I don't recognize you."

"Do you know _everyone _from the eleventh division?"

"Well no but…!"

"Then what's with the false accusation?"

"I'm sorry! Carry on!" said the Soul Reaper nervously. (She had given him a warning glare.)

-----

"Heh…that was a piece of cake. This is easier than I thought."

"Oh no! If I'm late Unohana-taicho will have my hide!" said Hanatoro upset. He stumbled and tripped. That was when he heard someone come up to him.

"Looks like you could use a hand," said the girl. She offered him her hand and helped him up. He suspected nothing until he realized she was from the eleventh.

"Why did you help me? I thought that everyone from your division hated us…" said Hanatoro confused.

"Not everyone is a heartless jerk. Just don't tell anyone, okay Hana-chan?" she grinned.

"How did you know my name?"

"I'd rather keep that a secret for now. My name's Kari by the way."

"Hanatoro Yamada."

"Don't tell anyone about what I did okay? I get enough grief as it is!" she laughed.

"Okay…and thank you."

"No prob. See ya later Hana-chan!"

-----

"Hey you girl! What division are you from?" yelled the Soul Reaper. She noted he was from the 11th.

"Yours."

"Prove it!"

"Fine…you can tell your friends that you got your ass handed to you after accusing me!" she smirked. (Quickly dealt with him.)

"Alright, have I proven myself?"

"Heh…not many girls can pull a stunt like that. You really are from my division!"


	12. Blending in

**Blending in**

"Hey little girl! What'd you think you're doing here? This is the eleventh division, not the fourth!" said Ikkaku.

"Can it o Great Bald One. I'm not from the 4th division."

"What did you just call me?! And if your not from the fourth, then which one do you belong to?"

"I called you bald. You know, for the third seat of the eleventh division, you're not very bright. Or is it that you can't read?" she grinned.

"What's going on here Baldy?" asked Yachiru in a sing-song voice.

"Hello Assistant Captain. I just caught this girl trying to sneak into the wrong division," said Ikkaku.

"You're the one who's got it wrong, O Great Bald One! I'm not in the wrong barracks," snorted Kari.

"Her uniform says she's from this division," said Yumichika.

"Looks like the vain fool figured it out faster than the bald one."

"I like her already. She has spunk," said Zaraki.

"Zaraki-taicho," said Kari acknowledging him.

"What's your name?" asked Zaraki.

"Kari sir."

"Well, Kari, welcome to the eleventh division. Let's see how long you can handle us!" laughed Zaraki.

* * *

A few days later…

Ichigo and the others had broken through the barrier thanks to Kukaku's cannon ball. She had her hands full with all the orders she was getting from the others. Finally she had had enough!

"Look, if you nut jobs want to use me as a maid, then why don't you get a girlfriend!" said Kari…finally going mental on them all.

"She didn't last very long," said Zaraki.

"No…it's just the orders these morons keep giving me are ridiculous! What do they think I am, their maid?!" said Kari frustrated.

"Are the boys giving you grief, Candy girl?" asked Yachiru. (She had already given Kari a name since the older girl gave her free candy.)

"They're more annoying than most, Yachiru-chan! Hey, would I get into trouble if I taught these idiots some manners?" asked Kari with an evil glint.

"So long as you don't kill them, sure," laughed Zaraki.

"The fourth division's gonna have their hands busy tonight!" said Kari with a maniacal laugh.

(If you're wondering what actually caused her to go off, I'll tell ya now!)

* * *

Kari's first days as an Eleventh Division member…

"Well, well! Lookie here boys! Seems this chick's in the wrong division!" laughed one of the eleventh division.

"No I'm not, moron. I belong to this division as much as you pin heads!" snorted Kari.

"Girls with low spirit energy don't belong here…they belong with that weak bunch of idiots in the fourth division!"

"There are different kinds of strength…but I guess you muscle-bound idiots wouldn't know about that!"

"Ouch…she's good!" said Ikkaku impressed.

"How about this then? If you can beat ten of us in a fight then you'll prove your worth (for the second division!)"

"Do I look like some meek twit who can't protect herself? You're on…except I'd rather take _40_ of you morons!" snorted Kari.

"Bring it, little girlie!" laughed the others.

_-----_

_Five minutes later…_

"What the…? How did you defeat fifty of our best fighters! You said you'd deal with forty!" asked Yumichika.

"These idiots tried to use an unsightly tactic to win back their pride and lost," replied Kari; one of the defeated Soul Reapers attempted to sneak up from behind, her only reaction was to hit him in the face and knock him out…again.

"Like that one?" asked Yumichika amused.

"They attempted to have their little friends gang up on me when I was fighting another. It's a good thing I sensed their reitsu!"

"So they tried a dirty and dishonorable trick which backfired?" asked Ikkaku.

"That's about it in a nutshell."

"I guess we were wrong about you. You really are worthy of the Eleventh division! Think you can handle beating me?" asked Ikkaku, ready for a fight.

"Sure…but neither of us uses our Zanpaku-to. I know you have that medicine in the hilt."

"Fair enough. Fists only. I'll start it off!" said Ikkaku as he charged.

Yumichika was highly impressed by Kari's fluid movement as she dodged Ikkaku. She ducked and dodged several times; though her hits actually made it to her target. In his opinion, Yumichika thought her moves were both elegant and graceful…even when she attacked! When the fight was over, Ikkaku was on the ground with her on his back, pinning him down.

"Say it," said Kari with a grin.

"All right, all right! I admit defeat…" grumbled Ikkaku. She got off of him and even helped him up.

"That was the most beautiful display of moves I've ever seen! How'd you do it?" asked Yumichika.

"Easy…I just danced to a beat inside my head. So in truth, I was never actually fighting…though the end result is the same," admitted Kari with a laugh.

"Well, I lost to you fair and square. How 'bout we go eat together?" asked Ikkaku.

"Sure!"

* * *

At the mess hall…

"So tell me, do you two know the difference about strength?" asked Kari.

"What difference?" asked Ikkaku.

"There are different types of strength. First is 'brute strength', as in your muscle power. Then there's 'mental strength', where you manipulate your opponent through mind games until they break from the strain. There's also one that most people don't even notice or even like."

"What's that?" asked Yumichika.

"Pride. You guys may think that having your pride is a good thing, but it can actually hurt you in terms of power. Think about it…how many of your comrades have ever benefited from their pride?"

"Not many," admitted Ikkaku.

"Pride gets in the way all the time. And there's something you guys don't seem to realize when it comes to the fourth division," said Kari.

"What's that?" asked Ikkaku.

"They rarely let their pride get the better of them. And it seems to me that most of you don't appreciate what they give up for power. The fourth division puts up with the whining, the complaining, and the veiled insults while still doing their job. They don't allow their pride to get in the way of cleaning up either," Kari pointed out.

"Huh…I never thought of it that way. But they're still weak," said Ikkaku.

"You measure people by their brute strength. Not by who they are. Hell, I even helped out a fourth division member before I finally found the barracks!" admitted Kari.

"You _helped _a fourth division member?!" said Ikkaku in disbelief.

"Think of it this way then…if you guys were nicer to them, then you wouldn't have to take all that awful tasting medicine when you're injured! How many times have you ever gotten a medicine that doesn't leave a nasty aftertaste?" asked Kari.

"Never…all I got was some foul liquid that left a horrid taste in my mouth," said Ikkaku irritably.

"Did you ever consider that they might actually give you a better tasting medicine if you were a little nicer to them? It's called karma."

"What's karma?" asked Yumichika.

"Karma…or to put it simply: what goes around, comes around. In other words, cut the fourth division some slack and they'll be a lot nicer to you when you're sick or injured," said Kari.

"It seems you're the only person who actually wants to be nice to the fourth division," said Yumichika.

"So you guys don't believe me when I say the fourth division isn't weak."

"Nope…anyone who does menial chores is obviously a wimp," said Ikkaku.

"You two are hopeless…" sighed Kari. They finished dinner and Kari took all three of their plates up.

"Geez…can't they even stack plates properly?!" she grumbled. She straightened the stack, making it easier for the fourth division to pick up. She ignored the snickers from the other members.

-----

An hour later, the mess hall cleared out…except Kari stayed behind. She picked up all the loose plates and dishes from the floor and put them on one table; four of the fourth division members walked in.

"Wha…? I thought they said the mess hall was empty!"

"It was, but I figured I'd cut you guys some slack and picked up all the plates for ya," grinned Kari.

"But aren't you with the 11th?" asked another member.

"Yeah…but it seems I'm the only one who doesn't think you guys are weak," admitted Kari.

"What's your name?" asked the third member.

"Kari. Don't be surprised if I stay behind tomorrow too!" she laughed as she left.

"What a strange girl…"

-----

"Hey new girl! Why'd ya stay behind in the mess hall?" asked Yachiru.

"Hey Yachiru-chan! So you saw me leave the mess hall late, huh?" she grinned.

"Yup…Ken-chan wanted to know what happened to the newbie!"

"Well in that case…" said Kari as she pulled something out from beneath her robe.

"What's that?" asked Yachiru.

"Hard candy. Want some? I made it myself," said Kari.

"You bet!" said Yachiru happily. She tried Kari's homemade hard candy and looked mildly surprised.

"Wow! This is really tasty!" said Yachiru.

"Thanks…my specialty has always been sweets!" laughed Kari.

"So why were you in the hall? I thought only the guys from the 4th came in this late!"

"I figured I'd give them a break and picked up the loose plates for them. After all the whining they get from us, I figured they could use a hand," said Kari.

"You're weird, Candy girl!" laughed Yachiru.

"Want a lift to the barracks Yachiru-chan?" asked Kari.

"Yay!" said Yachiru as she climbed on her back.

"Oh, and Yachiru-chan? If you ever want someone to play with or make fun of the pin heads, you can always come to me," said Kari

"I like you, Candy girl! You're a lot more fun to play with than the others!" laughed Yachiru as they entered the barracks.

XxXxX

"Heh…look at that newbie sucking up to the assistant captain," snorted one of the eleventh.

"She must be trying to get a seat position! Why else would she let the assistant captain ride on her back all the way from the mess hall?" said another. After Yachiru went back to Zaraki, Kari vanished from their sight.

"I heard that comment you fools made about me earlier. I'm not trying to get a seat position…I just happen to like being nice to others. You better not make any more comments or you'll both be sent into the fourth division for having all of your bones snapped in two," said Kari coldly.

"How'd you sneak behind us so fast?!"

"I have my ways…"

XxXxX

**Day two…**

Once again, Kari helped out the fourth division by picking up all the plates and putting them on one table. She did this twice that day, and as a result the others treated her as a cleaning lady. She quickly grew tired of their petty insults, but she ignored them…until they started doing something that really pissed her off.

While she was putting up the plates, one of the fools had the gall to slap her behind. She immediately turned and gave the offending Soul Reaper a cold-hearted death glare. She noticed the snickers and quickly became angry. She left the mess hall and immediately went to Zaraki.

"Zaraki-taicho, would I get into trouble for teaching those idiots some manners?" she asked.

"So long as you don't kill them," said Zaraki amused.

"I was hoping you'd say that…" smirked Kari. She went straight back to the mess hall and finished stacking the dishes properly. Then another one of the fools tried to duplicate what had happened earlier…the result?

"OWWW!!!" said the offending Soul Reaper as she bent his hand backward until his wrist snapped.

"Anyone who wants to have their hands broken can try that if they dare. I don't recommend it," said Kari coolly and darkly.

"Looks like the little girlie doesn't like getting slapped," laughed one of the others.

"Nor do I appreciate the idiotic comments you lot seem to enjoy shooting in my direction. I gave you fools a chance…if I catch you making fun of me or trying that little stunt from earlier there will be NO mercy."

"Ohh…we're soooo scared!" laughed the others. She went to where Ikkaku and Yumichika were and sat down.

-----

"They are so dead if they try that again," she said annoyed.

"Why didn't you do that earlier? And where did you go anyway?"

"I just went to ask the captain if it was all right to teach the bastards a lesson."

"And…?"

"He said as long as I don't kill them."

"This is going to be amusing," said Ikkaku with a laugh.

-----

"Hello again, Kari-san!" said Hanatoro. (He was one of the fourth division members sent to pick up the dishes this time.)

"Hey Hana-chan! I hope that knuckleheaded fool I sent to your division earlier isn't giving you guys too much trouble," she laughed.

"Hanatoro, you know this weird girl?!" asked another.

"You could say that… I tripped one day and she helped me up even though she's from the eleventh."

"Hey, somebody in that muscle-bound division should give you guys a break. You do the things no one else wants to and yet they can't get it through their thick heads that you're _not _weak," said Kari with a shrug.

"Thanks for picking up the plates for us, Kari-san," said Hanatoro.

"No prob…they would have bugged me all day if I didn't pick them up. I better get going. See ya Hana-chan!"

"Bye, Kari-san," said Hanatoro.

**XxXxX**

"Look who returns. Helping out the wimps from the fourth again, girlie?" snickered the others.

"They're not wimps. And yes, I helped them out. So what?"

"Maybe you should get transferred to their lame division. You're too soft for ours!"

"Wanna bet? I told you imbeciles before that the next time you make fun of me there'd be no mercy."

"Hey Candy girl! Those boys givin' you trouble again?" asked Yachiru.

"Yup. Wanna watch me wipe the floor with them?"

"Yay!"

"Candy girl? I knew you were sucking up to the assistant captain!" laughed the others.

"You are soooo dead creep!" snarled Kari as she snuck up from behind and kicked him hard.

"Heh…is that the best you can do, girlie?"

"My name isn't girlie, its Kari! And just because you can't sense my reitsu doesn't mean I don't have any!" she smirked.

"What the…?! Where'd this pressure come from?!"

"I've been holding my Spirit Energy back this whole time, fool. And the reason why I wasn't sent to the fourth is because I'm too violent," said Kari dryly. She then began her assault. In less than a minute the Soul Reaper was unconscious on the ground with both legs and arms severely broken. She smirked and looked at Yachiru.

"Hey Yachiru-chan, how 'bout after the guys from the 4th pick this moron up we go play?"

"You bet!" said Yachiru happily.


	13. Taking a leap of faith

**Taking a leap of faith**

"I did warn them that there'd be no mercy," said Kari.

"Yup…those boys didn't get that through their thick heads!" laughed Yachiru. (She was on Kari's shoulders again.)

"So which way to the candy shop, Yachiru-chan?"

"Candy girl, why don't you call me assistant captain like the boneheads?"

"Dunno…I guess the fact that you're soooo Kuwaii makes it easy to forget you're assistant captain. Or do you not like the name Yachiru-chan?"

"You think I'm Kuwaii?" asked Yachiru surprised.

"You're just too cute! Besides, who else will let you act your age and have fun?" Kari pointed out.

"True…so why haven't we met sooner? I don't remember anything about getting a girl in the division…" said Yachiru.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yup! Why?"

"I'm not actually a Soul Reaper like the others. I never went to the Academy. This is the first time I've ever been in the Soul Society!"

"What do you mean, your first time?"

"I mean that I'm with the Ryoka who broke into the Soul Society a couple days ago. Don't tell anyone okay?"

"But if you came with them, how'd you get past the gate?"

"That snake Ichimaru was so busy dealing with Ichigo that he never saw me slip through. When they break through the barrier, keep an eye out for an orange-haired Soul Reaper who's Zanpaku-to is as long as he is tall. Your Ken-chan can expect a good fight against him," said Kari.

"I'm the only one who gets to call Kenny 'Ken-chan'!"

"I know, I know. I figured it was easier to call him that instead of Zaraki-taicho. So, which way to the candy shop Yachiru-chan? It's my treat!"

-----

Back at the barracks…

"So let me get this straight. You're really a Ryoka who broke in with the others?" said Zaraki.

"Yup."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you in right now."

"I know who the strongest is. He's good enough to give you a very exciting fight to the finish. And I know what he looks like," said Kari.

"She brought candy Ken-chan! She even got me some!" said Yachiru.

"And here I thought you were trying to get on my good side."

"Actually, I figured Yachiru would be a lot of fun to hang out with. Besides, this is the only division I know of where I can beat the others up and not get into too much trouble," said Kari with a laugh.

"Heh…it was pretty amusing to watch you beat up fifty of my men and get the best of Ikkaku. All right, I won't turn you in. On one condition…"

"I'll give you a description of Ichigo and his Zanpaku-to."

"Smart girl."

-----

"Well, well, well…look what we have here. Looks like the suck-up returned!" laughed the others coldly.

"Think what you want, you Neanderthal. I don't really give a damn."

"What did you call me?!"

"A Neanderthal…a muscle-bound prehistoric man with a brain the size of a pea and no social skills."

"Ouch…" said Yumichika.

"That's it girlie! You want a fight, you just got yourself one!" said the Soul Reaper angrily.

"This won't end well…" said Ikkaku. (Better believe it!)

"Fine by me. I've been itching for another fight today!"

"What do you mean, another fight?" asked Ikkaku.

"You know the guy who was just sent to the Medical Corps with both legs and arms broken? I'm the one who sent him there."

"You did that? That's impossible…your reitsu isn't strong enough to do that much damage!"

"That would be because I've been disguising it this whole time, moron."

"Why'd you do that?" asked Yumichika.

"To keep fools like him from finding me," said Kari as she removed her Shihakusho. Underneath was a sleeveless shirt with no back. As soon as she did that, the spiritual pressure immediately increased.

"What the hell?! Who's doing that?"

"Me. That is what my reitsu is really like. I was holding back before," said Kari coolly. She drew her Zanpaku-to and waited for her opponent to do the same; he was still confident that he'd beat her. He smirked at her Zanpaku-to…it was a tad short.

"Don't tell me you plan on using that little butter knife!" he laughed.

"Strength isn't based on one's size, but on the size of one's strength," quoted Kari.

"Whatever…get ready girlie, cause here I come!" said the Soul Reaper as he charged.

She didn't bother to duck or dodge, she parried instinctively and smirked.

"If that's your best shot, then this'll be over sooner than I thought," said Kari.

"Why you!"

He struck at her again and again, and actually made contact at one point, cutting her face.

"Heh…that was a fluke. I have a certain knack for other's Zanpaku-to," said Kari.

"Sure ya do, brat! Let's see you dodge this!" he said as he swung at her with full force. She didn't duck or anything, she just caught the blow using her hand; blood came from where it made contact with the blade.

"What… You're a brave one girlie. You're lucky I didn't cut that pretty little hand of yours off!"

"Actually, I copied something I saw a master do. He caught a sword with only one hand…though he had something to protect his. And it wasn't luck," said Kari calmly.

"Sure it wasn't. How about we make a deal then? If you win, then I'll be a little nicer to the fourth division lackeys. But if I win, then you leave our barracks and go to the 4th where you belong!"

"You're on…but let's make it even more interesting. Loser has to help the fourth division clean the sewers for a week," countered Kari.

"You got a deal. Prepare to lose!" he said as he went to deliver the final blow.

"Guess again," said Kari as she ducked and broke his sword arm with one strike.

"Looks like she beat you," said Ikkaku.

"You can't exactly counter a blow if your sword arm's broke. I win."

The Soul Reaper refused to admit defeat as she went at her with his sword in his left hand. She sheathed her Zanpaku-to before saying, _"__Sakikurue, Fuji Kujaku!"_

She draws her Zanpaku-to and watches as the peacock feathers surround her opponent and restores her energy by taking his. She made sure not to take to much, and left him to wait for the fourth division.

* * *

As she walked off, Yumichika came out of his shocked daze and ran after her. He caught up and said, "How did you…?!"

"How did I use your attack? Beats me…all I know is that when I know the name and attack command for a Zanpaku-to I can use it with as my own. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about yours," said Kari.

"So you knew from the beginning…?"

"Yes, I knew your sword's name and the attack command…as well as the fact that it's more of a Kido-type Zanpaku-to and not a direct-attack. And I won't tell the others if you won't," said Kari.

"Thanks…where're you going?"

"To see the fourth division. They need to pick that fool up before he bleeds to death," said Kari with a shrug.

-----

"Kari-san, what happened to you?" asked Hanatoro in concern.

"I got into a fight with one of the idiots. He got very lucky and actually hit me once; though I did beat him in the end," said Kari.

"Why'd he fight you?"

"He seemed to be under the impression that I'm trying to suck-up to the captain for a seat position. Actually, I just enjoy hanging out with Yachiru-chan," admitted Kari.

"So why were you fighting, Kari-san?" asked Unohana-taicho.

"Konnichiwa, Unohana-taicho!" said Kari quickly.

"So are you the same girl that the others have told me about?"

"What do you mean, Unohana-taicho?"

"Are you the same girl from the eleventh division who's been helping my subordinates out with the dishes and sticking up for them?"

"Hai…"

"I must say, I was very surprised to hear that someone from the 11th was being nice to my own. It does make me wonder if you have some alterior motive…"

"While the others might not appreciate the work your division does, I do. You take too much ridicule even though you're as strong as the other divisions. I was just tired of them making fun of your division just because you do the things they won't," said Kari.

"I see…so you think that we deserve more credit for the things we do? Is that really the only reason, or is there another…?"

"Actually, I didn't want my karma to come after me if I was mean to the fourth division…" admitted Kari.

"What do you mean, your karma?"

"I mean I figured if I was nice to you, then I wouldn't have to take the foul-tasting medicine you sometimes give…even if it does work."

"I thought that might be the case," laughed Unohana.

"Oh, and before I forget…the guy who just came in from my division with the broken sword arm…we made a bet while we were fighting and I got him to agree to it."

"What was the bet, Kari-san?" asked Hanatoro, interested.

"I he beat me then I'd leave the eleventh division and join this one, but if I beat him, he had to be nicer to the fourth division too! (I also tricked him into something else!)."

"What else did you get him to agree to?" asked Unohana interested.

"Loser has to help the fourth division clean the sewers for a week," laughed Kari.

Hanatoro laughed as he finished bandaging up her arm and face. As she left the fourth division, (and she made sure to show proper respect to Unohana-taicho), she walked back to the barracks…

-----

"Look who has the gall to return after she lost!" laughed the others.

"He lost, not me. And if I _had_ lost, I wouldn't be returning to the barracks after the bet we made."

"What bet?" they all said in unison.

"If he beat me, I quit the 11th and join the fourth…but if I beat him, he had to be nicer to the fourth division…as well as the loser helping them clean the sewers for a week," she smirked.

"WHAT!!!! You lie!"

"No, she's telling the truth. That was the bet they made and she won fair and square," said Ikkaku.

"So she beat him…that doesn't mean she belongs here!" they protested.

"Hey, she belongs here just as much as you do! Besides, the captain already said she's not getting kicked out by you lot," said Yumichika.

"She still doesn't belong with us. She's too soft to handle a _real _fight!"

"Hey, Yumichika, do you think you could warn the fourth division that there's a bunch of thick-headed morons about to come their way with some very nasty cuts? These fools are about to learn to keep their mouths shut the hard way and I don't want to catch them off-guard when they come in," said Kari.

"Sure…wait, why would they have nasty cuts? Don't you mean they'll have broken bones and horrifing bruises?"

"No, I mean cuts, as in they'll look like they were cut by tiny blades," repeated Kari.

"What're you…?"

"Remember what I said about how I can turn another Soul Reaper's attack into my own if I know the name of both attack and Zanpaku-to?"

"Yes…I remember _that_ a little too clearly."

"Well, I also know the name and attack of Byakuya-taicho's Zanpaku-to. And Renji's, Hitsuguya-taicho and several others. So they'll be coming in with some very nasty or deep cuts on them."

"I'll tell them."

* * *

"All right you pin heads…who wants their ass handed to them first?" she said, turning towards them.

They all charged as one…she waited before saying, _"Scatter, Senbonzakura!"_ Her Zanpaku-to's blade turned into what looked like a thousand tiny cherry blossoms. Over a hundred of the men ended up on the ground with thousands of tiny cuts, as if they missed while using a razor. This didn't deter them, as the others charged yet again; this time, she used another Zanpaku-to, one she knew they'd recognize.

"_Howl, Zabimaru!"_

Sure enough, her blade returned and turned into Zabimaru in its initial release! This completely caught them off guard…many of them backed off from fear that she'd use their own Zanpaku-to against them; the more over-confident, however, continued their charge.

She struck with 'Zabimaru' and the fools fell with a deep cut. Those who narrowly escaped weren't impressed and went at her again.

"I wouldn't recommend that boys… You haven't seen what my real Zanpaku-to looks like when I use the initial release command," she said coolly.

This got them to back off. She sheathed her Zanpaku-to and then said, "So who among you thinks I can't handle being in the 11th?"

Not one even dared to disagree…she _had_ beaten them with disturbing ease, and showed many of the same traits that the 11th division was known for.

"All right, you've proven yourself worthy of our division…" they said reluctantly.

"So how're you gonna explain this to the other captains?" asked Ikkaku.

"I'll just tell them that these idiots mistook me for a Ryoka and tried to ambush me," said Kari bluntly. Ikkaku looked at her for a moment before he burst out laughing. (It was one of the few excuses that would actually work!)

-----

Hanatoro came with Yumichika to the barracks and got a little concerned when he saw Kari sitting on the ground.

"Kari-san, what happened?!"

"These idiots thought I was a Ryoka and tried to ambush me. Naturally I had to defend myself."

As if to prove her tale, one of the others who had been winded by her double-take of Zabimaru, got up and charged her. Hanatoro was in the way of his charge and instinctively took something out of his knapsack with medicines and squirted something on the other. The charging Soul Reaper was knocked out within seconds. He turned when he heard Ikkaku whistle…he was impressed.

"I guess Kari had a point; you fourth division lackeys aren't as weak as I thought!" said Ikkaku impressed.

"Thanks…I think," said Hanatoro nervously.

Several of his squad members showed up and took the Soul Reapers who tried to ambush Kari to the Medical barracks…Hanatoro went with them after making suree Kari was safe from any more attacks. (He had knocked her out with the same medicine at her request.)


	14. Changing positions

**Changing positions**

"It seems we can't keep you away, Kari-san," joked Unohana.

"Um, Unohana-taicho, Kari-san is still unconscious thanks to the medicine I gave her," said Hanatoro nervously.

"Which medicine?"

"The one that keeps those with low spirit energy asleep until they recover enough, Unohana-taicho," replied Hanatoro.

"Ah…well we certainly can't keep her with the others, they might bear a grudge against her."

"She can stay in my room, Unohana-taicho. I don't think they'll ever realize where that is, and it's close enough to the main office in case something happens!"

"Very well, Hanatoro-san, you keep an eye on her until she comes to," said Unohana.

-----

An hour later…

"Ow…my aching head," grumbled Kari wearily.

"Kari-san! You sure woke up fast!" said Hanatoro.

"That would be because of Kitsu and his little chakra donation. Don't ask," she said when she saw the confused look he gave her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like my head is going to split in two. I haven't had a headache this bad since… Hey, where am I?" said Kari, changing the subject.

"In my room. Unohana-taicho didn't think it would be a good idea to keep you with the others, just in case. She said I could stay with you until you woke up."

"Please tell me you have something for headaches…" she said irritably.

"Hai! Hang on a moment while I get it!" said Hanatoro relieved.

As she waited until he returned, she sensed that she wasn't alone in the room. She looked around, turning her head and trying to find the other presence. Then she spotted it. She grinned; Hanatoro gave her something for her headache and she couldn't resist saying, "You do realize that Hisagomaru is supporting the desk, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"Your Zanpaku-to…Hisagomaru is supporting your desk in the left corner," laughed Kari.

"How do you know my Zanpaku-to's name?"

"I just do, let's leave it at that. So why are you using your sword as something to hold up the desk?" she joked.

"Are you sure that it's my sword and not a stick?" asked Hanatoro nervous.

"It would certainly explain why that _stick _as you call it is yelling at you for not using him," snickered Kari.

"You can hear my sword too?!"

"If I know its name and attack, I can use them as my own. That's how I dealt with those other 11th division knuckleheads."

"How's your headache, Kari-san?" asked Hanatoro, changing the subject.

"A lot better. I better get going or Zaraki-taicho will have my hide," joked Kari.

"You shouldn't get up so soon! Your reitsu still hasn't…!" protested Hanatoro. He almost finished his sentence when he felt an enormous spirit pressure bear down on him.

"I have a knack for hiding my reitsu. And as for the quick recovery, you can thank my familiar, Kitsu," said Kari as she released the powerful reitsu off Hanatoro.

"Who's Kitsu?"

"Come on out, Kitsu! I'd like you to meet someone!" said Kari as she threw up a small pendant in the shape of a four-tailed fox. A somewhat blinding light appears and when it dissipates, an orange fox appears in its place.

"_So was it that you wanted me to meet, Kari?"_ asked the fox.

"Kitsu, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Hanatoro, but I call him Hana-chan for short," grinned Kari.

"N-nice to m-meet you, Kitsu-san," stammered Hanatoro, a bit taken aback.

"_You don't have to use the honorifics around us. You wouldn't happen to be the same Hanatoro, who keeps misplacing his Zanpaku-to, are you?"_

"That's the one," grinned Kari.

"Kari-san, where are you going to?"

"I need to see Zaraki-taicho…he might be a bit peeved that I took out nearly half his division in less than an hour. I know you get picked on quite a bit by the others, Hana-chan," said Kari.

"Yeah…"

"You can borrow Kitsu if you like. He'll make sure they don't pick on you too much," said Kari.

"You don't have to…!" protested Hanatoro.

"It's okay…he needs something to keep him entertained, and I can't exactly let him bite the heads off the idiots in my division… You don't mind, do you, Kitsu?" said Kari.

"_Not really…so long as I can keep out of that pendant form you put me in. What do you say?"_

"I guess it wouldn't bother me…but how am I going to explain having a large orange four-tailed fox with me to Unohana-taicho?" asked Hanatoro. He had a confused look when Kitsu went from four-tails to only one. His size diminished as well, so he could easily fit into Hanatoro's knapsack.

"_Is that better?"_

"How did you…?"

"Don't tell me you've never heard of a kitsune, Hana-chan!" laughed Kari.

"You mean Kitsu is really a demon fox spirit?" said Hanatoro surprised.

"Yup…I call him Kitsu, which is short for kitsune. Get the joke?"

"_We'll meet up with you after you-know-what happens,"_ said Kitsu.

"Okay. See ya later, Hana-chan, Kitsu!" said Kari.

* * *

Back at the eleventh barracks…

"What the…?! Kari, what're you…?" said Ikkaku surprised.

"You didn't think I was going to stay down for more than a short time, did ya?" she grinned.

"No way! How'd you recover your spirit energy in less than an hour?!" said Yumichika in surprise.

"You can thank a familiar of mine. He gave me some of his, so it recovered quicker."

"A familiar?"

"A fox named Kitsu, if you want to be exact," said Kari.

"The captain wants to see you. Something about sending nearly half his men to the fourth division for treatment…" said Ikkaku.

Captain's office, five minutes later…

"Well it seems we can't keep you down for long, eh Kari?" said Zaraki calmly. (She didn't sense any anger in his voice, which meant she wasn't in trouble…yet.)

"Nope…you could say I'm like a weed. You can cut me down, but I'll just keep coming back again," joked Kari.

"Candy girl was pretty mean to those other boys!" said Yachiru.

"Those idiots thought that they could beat me since I already sent someone else down to the Medical Ops earlier. Instead I kicked their ass," smirked Kari.

"Well it seems you've definitely earned the fourth seat position," said Yachiru.

"Huh?!"

"Ken-chan said you've been so good at teaching those meatheads a lesson that the only way to prevent any more from going to the Med Ops is to give you a seat position!" said Yachiru.

"Cool…which one?"

"Fourth. Yumichika would complain if I gave you his, and so would Ikkaku. So the fourth one is the only one I can get you," said Zaraki.

"Good enough for me! Maybe now they'll learn not to get on my nerves as much."

* * *

"We heard about your promotion! Congrats…I think," said Yumichika.

"Depends on whether those rumors that I was sucking up to the captain finally shut up," said Kari.

"If not then you can just bash their heads in until they do," Ikkaku pointed out.

"True…so who's in the mood for some lunch?" asked Kari with a shrug.

"Your treat?"

"Yup…let's go!"

-----

During lunch…

"By the way, we've been meaning to ask, but when did you get here anyway? I don't remember seeing you here until after…" said Ikkaku.

"I came with the Ryoka," said Kari bluntly. (Both spewed tea at this.)

"What! No way! You fit in a little too well to be a ryoka."

"Heh…that's because my personality naturally suited the eleventh division. That's why I pretended I was with you guys until I actually became one of you," said Kari with a laugh.

"I couldn't even see through your disguise! How'd you do it?!" asked Ikkaku.

"I had help with the uniform. Remember Kisuke Urahara?"

"The last captain of the R and D division? What about him?"

"He helped me make the uniform. I did the rest."

"How'd you make it past the gate?" asked Ikkaku.

"When Ichimaru went after the others after Ichigo beat Jidanbo, I slipped in while he was distracted. The rest was easy compared to that," said Kari.

"I still can't believe you got away with it. Does the captain know?"

"Yeah…I told him a while ago. He doesn't care 'cause I told him I knew who the strongest one was. Want to know how I was able to fool even you?"

"Yes!" said Yumichika and Ikkaku in unison.

"It was fairly easy. If there's one mistake people make when they're trying to go under cover its that they don't act naturally. I just acted like I usually do and as if I did belong and you all bought it."

"So you just acted normally, without any nervousness? You've got guts, Kari!" laughed Ikkaku.

"Thanks," laughed Kari.

"So how were you able to beat Ikkaku?"

"Easy. You remember the last commander of the Special Ops, Shihouin Yoruichi?"

"Yeah…the whole Seireitei was in an uproar after the stunt those two pulled."

"She and Urahara were my sparring partners. I got to say though, I never expected his hand-to-hand combat skills to be so bad," snickered Kari. (Urahara sneezes in the real world after she says this.)

"He always was better at swords than martial arts from what I hear. Yoruichi was the hand-to-hand fighter," Ikkaku commented.

"So will you two turn me in, or will you let it slide like the captain did?" asked Kari seriously.

"Hey, if it's alright with the captain, then it's okay by us. We don't blindly follow him for nothing after all. Wait, that didn't…!" said Yumichika quickly. Kari couldn't resist laughing.

"That's all I needed to hear. I'm mildly surprised you two haven't asked me what my Zanpaku-to does in its initial release!" said Kari.

"Oh yeah…we figured you'd show us eventually. But isn't copying other Zanpaku-to its ability?" asked Ikkaku.

"Nope…that's all me. Mine has a double release on it."

"I've never heard of a double release Zanpaku-to," said the two.

"How about after lunch I show you the first one. The second one doesn't want to cooperate half the time," said Kari.

* * *

"Alright, you two ready? Try not to freak out when I release it!" said Kari. They shrugged and she unsheathed her sword saying, _"Embrace the darkness, Hikari no Kage!"_

At first it seemed like nothing happened…then they were enveloped in complete darkness where not a sound could be heard.

"What the…! This is _exactly_ like your room!" said Yumichika.

"I know. That's the reason I can see and you can't. I'm more used to it than you are," said Kari as she calmly released them.

"Woah…that was just weird. So you have a Kido-type?"

"Not really…it envelops my opponent in the silent darkness while I attack. All it does is make them blind and deaf. I still attack directly."

"True…so it's not a Kido-type, but a mix of both. So your Zanpaku-to's name is 'Light's shadow'?"

"Yup. Ironic, right?"

"Eh, I've heard worse. Lets get back to the barracks," shrugged Ikkaku.

_

* * *

Little did they know that they had been followed by one of the captains who had overheard their conversation. It was Soifon, Yoruichi's protégé. She went immediately to the barracks and waited for them to return._

* * *

"So why do you spend so much time with the assistant captain, Kari?"

"She's the only _other _girl in the division! And besides, I always got along better with kids than I did others."

"Hey, is it me or is the Second Division's captain in _our _barracks?!" asked Yumichika suddenly.

"Uh-oh…I thought I sensed a powerful spirit pressure following us earlier. I didn't think it would be her!" said Kari in dismay.

"So you're really one of the ryoka, Kari?" said Soifon irritably. (Most likely mad that she didn't realize that sooner.)

"I was…but I'm not anymore," said Kari quickly.

"Just because you gained a seat position doesn't make you a Soul Reaper, idiot!" said Soifon annoyed.

"So? I did pass Zaraki-taicho's little test fair and square. He will vouch for me, and so will Yachiru-chan!" said Kari bored.

"I don't care if they do back you up; you're still a ryoka and you're coming with me!" said Soifon.

"Even if I knew where your beloved Yoruichi was?" said Kari smoothly. (Knew Soifon's major weakness.)

"You're still coming with me."

"Tell you what…if you can beat me in a fight with _no Zanpaku-to_ and _no Soul Reaper powers _in combat, then I'll come along peacefully, and I'll tell you where Yoruichi is. If not, then you leave me alone. Is that fair?"

"I can agree to that, considering you'll never beat me without a Zanpaku-to or your Soul Reaper powers," said Soifon.

"We'll see…" grinned Kari.

-----

An hour later in the Second Division's barracks…

"Where is that irritating child?!" growled Soifon angrily.

"Here I am…sorry I took so long, but I had to make sure that I didn't have my sword anywhere near me. And just to warn you, I have a certain knack that I developed _before _I became a Soul Reaper," said Kari calmly.

"Let's get this over with…I want to find her before my anger dies down!" said Soifon. (Kari knew exactly what Soifon meant when she said '_her_'.)

"And…begin!" said Marechiyo, the second division's assistant captain. (The judge was Rukia's captain, Jushiro Ukitake.)


	15. Fight Fight Revolution

**Fight Fight revolution**

Soifon was eager to put Kari behind bars; she charged without any regard for what would happen. At first Kari appeared like she wasn't going to dodge, then at the last split second, she ducked and landed a solid punch on Soifon. This caught her off-guard for a moment. Before she could land a second hit, Soifon vanished from her visual range. As if Kari was psychic, she jumped back exactly as Soifon was about to land a solid kick.

"How is that brat dodging the captain's attacks so easily?!" asked Marechiyo.

"That's easy silly! She's dancing!" laughed Yachiru.

"_She's what?!"_ said the others in surprise.

"Yup…she told one time that she has this little trick where she spaces out while fighting. Candy girl said she has a way to hear a beat that we can't, and she lets her body dance to the beat while she fights!" explained Yachiru.

"How does she pull that off?!" asked Ukitake.

"She says it's called headphones. I don't know what Candy girl meant, but it works!"

Soifon was surprised…the ryoka was managing to both avoid her attacks and make solid blows with disturbing ease! She couldn't figure it out…until she realized the other was humming something. At close look at her eyes also revealed that the girl wasn't even paying attention to anything! Finally, she landed a hit!

_

* * *

Kari was in her own little world…the beat from her CD player was easy to get caught up in. In her eyes, she was playing her own version of the arcade game 'Dance Dance Revolution'. Except in her version, she called it Fight Fight Revolution! She barely even registered the hit, except as a missed move on her game. _

_The next track started, and she recognized it instantly; it was off of the 'Pokemon the First Movie' soundtrack…called 'Catch me if you can'. She vaguely realized she was humming along with the song._

**Oh, come on try to catch me,**

**Oh, catch me if you can!**

**Oh, come on try to catch me,**

**Oh catch me, if you can!**

**Look out it's time the world is finding for a**

**New thing, it's time I got ahead,**

**Keep thinking nothing is going to stop me**

**And I won't quit until I'm sitting on the top!**

**Never give up when the going gets rough,**

**I know I'm going to make through,**

**To just try will never be enough,**

**I'll show you there's noting that I can't do!**

**Oh come on try to catch me,**

**Oh catch me if you can!**

**Oh come on try to catch me,**

**Oh catch me if you can!**

**(Come on, come on, Catch me now!**

**Catch me Pokemon!**

**Can you come and catch me can you now, you can't catch me anyhow!)**

**Get up, let's see what you're made of!**

**Bring it on, you know I'm not afraid,**

**There's no way you can slow me down now!**

**It's time to show you what I'm all about!**

**Never give up when the going gets rough,**

**I know I'm going to make it through,**

**To just try will never be enough,**

**I'll show you there's nothing that I can't do!**

**Oh come on try to catch me,**

**Oh catch me if you can!**

**Oh come on try to catch me,**

**Oh catch me if you can!**

**Oh come on try to catch me,**

**Oh catch me if you can!**

**Oh come on try to catch me,**

**Oh catch me if you can!**

**It's so close I can taste it!**

**There's no way I'll ever go back!**

**It's so hard but stopping's not an option**

**I'm gonna keep on, keep on, cuz I believe in me!**

Kari can tell by the look on the other's faces that they could hear her humming. She grinned at their confusion. She snapped out of her self-induced daze and said, "What? Never heard someone hum before?"

"Not during a fight, no!" snapped Soifon. (Kari noted that the captain seemed a bit worn down from her assault.)

"Well you have now. I think now's the perfect time to end this, don't you?" said Kari amused.

"And how do you plan on doing that?! Your spirit energy has been at the same level during this entire thing!" growled Soifon angrily.

"Did it ever occur to you that I was suppressing my reitsu this whole time?"

"What?"  
-----

Kari released what spirit energy she had remaining and shocked the Special Ops commander.

"Impossible! How did you…?"

"Easy…whenever I go into that trance, I set my spirit energy at a certain level. My sub-conscious keeps it at that level until I snap out of it or I'm defeated. Now for the trick I warned you about before we began…" said Kari.

"What trick?!"

"Unlike most Soul Reapers like you and the others, I'm able to communicate with _any _Zanpaku-to and use its attack so long as I know the name. I was able to do this even _before _I ever received any of my Soul Reaper powers."

"You're lying!"

"Let's see, my own Zanpaku-to is miles away in a place where it can't help me even if I wanted it to, and you don't have yours, so let's see if its true, shall we?" said Kari calmly. She made sure Soifon couldn't interfere as she extended her arm and said, _"Jinteki Shakusetsu, Suzemebachi!"_

The arm she extended suddenly glowed…and where the wrist and hand connected to the arm, a certain Zanpaku-to in its initial release appeared! It was _Soifon's Zanpaku-to_!!!

"What the…! That's impossible! Where did that Zanpaku-to come from?!" said Soifon in disbelief.

"Beats me. All I know is that if I know the name of the sword as well as its initial release, I can use it as my own. You should have seen Urahara's expression when I activated Benihime without being anywhere near it!" laughed Kari.

She bolted as she suddenly appeared in front of Soifon and struck the shocked Soul Reaper Captain with the stinger. Soifon's eyes widened in complete shock as the homonka, or hornet's crest, appeared where the stinger made contact. Kari calmly and quickly went out of Soifon's striking range as the Soul Reaper looked in shock at the mark.

"That's not possible! This is identical to…!" she said in disbelief.

"Believe me now? I don't have my sword, and you don't have yours. Since nobody else can pull this off, I'm pretty sure that this is a trait I inherited from somewhere."

Kari carefully pushed her left palm onto the stinger, which collapsed before it vanished into thin air.

-----

"I don't know how or what you did, but it certainly isn't a Soul Reaper technique. So technically it was legal," said Ukitake.

"I don't care how she did it, she's still going to a jail cell! She's a ryoka!" said Soifon angrily.

"So you still want to continue, even though there's no possible way for you to beat me? That's kinda pointless," commented Kari dryly.

"So what were you planning by bringing out _my _Zanpaku-to? Were you going to kill me with it or not?" demanded Soifon suspiciously.

"Where's the fun in that? In case you haven't heard, all the idiots who challenged me in my own division all got sent to the fourth division with serious but non-fatal injuries. I'd prefer not to do the same to you," said Kari irritably.

"I don't care about your preferences!" snorted Soifon as she charged at Kari again.

"Fine…but don't say I didn't warn you!" replied Kari as she repeated her move by extending her arm.

"_Soten ni Zase, Hyorinmaru!"_ (Translation: Set upon the frozen heavens, Ice Ring! Hyorinmaru means Ice Ring.)

The air suddenly grew chilled and their breaths came in cold puffs. This didn't perturb Soifon as she continued her charge. Kari calmly used Hyorinmaru to freeze the enraged captain from the neck down. Soifon was completely stuck in a block of ice. Hyorinmaru vanished, having fulfilled Kari's purpose. She turned to Ukitake and said, "Continuing this is completely pointless. You might as well call it, Ukitake-taicho."

"Agreed. Kari wins this bout," said Ukitake before dealing with his sickness.

"She didn't win! I can still…!" started Soifon.

* * *

"Look, will you calm down if I told you where Yoruichi is right now?" said Kari with a sigh. 

"What…?" said Soifon in surprise.

"I know where the general area is. She may be hard to find, but I know where she is right now… just not the specific location," repeated Kari.

"Where is she?!" said Soifon angrily.

"Will you cease this pointless fight between us?"

"Yes, just tell me where she is!" said Soifon irritably.

"She's here."

"What are you talking about?! What does that mean?!"

"I mean she's back, here in the Seireitei. She was the one who lead us to the gate and she came with the others through the barrier."

"You mean she's here in the Seireitei as we speak?" said Ukitake.

"Yes, but you won't find her for a while. I wouldn't recommend trying to find her, Soifon-taicho. She'll come to you on the day of Rukia Kuchiki's execution…and you can quote me on that," said Kari calmly.

"How would you know that?!" said Soifon suspiciously.

"I've said too much already. If I told you the more specific details, it could ruin the timeline!" said Kari annoyed.

"Shouldn't we be getting her out of that block of ice?" asked Ukitake.

"I'll free her…_after _she simmers down enough to talk rationally," said Kari.

_

* * *

Half an hour later… _

"WILL YOU GET ME OUT OF HERE ALREADY?!" said Soifon angrily.

"Have you calmed down?"

"WHAT DOES THAT MATTER?! GET ME OUT OF THIS DAMN ICE!!!" yelled Soifon.

"You're not getting out until you either calm down or the ice melts naturally. And that could take hours," Kari pointed out. She and Yachiru were playing cards. (Kari didn't know whether they had any so she brought some with her.)

"What is going on? What's with all the yelling?!" asked Toshiro annoyed.

"I beat Soifon-taicho fair and square. She's just annoyed that I used _your _Zanpaku-to's ability to put her in a block of ice," said Kari amused.

"What?"

"I can use other Soul Reaper's Zanpaku-to, so long as I know their name and attack. Don't ask; I'm not in the mood to explain it all over again," replied Kari.

"That does explain the ice…" admitted Toshiro.

"I told her thirty minutes ago that I'll only let her out when she either calms down or the ice melts on its own. Which will take a while," said Kari.

"I take it she's in a foul mood? What'd you do to her to get her so mad?"

"I told her where Shihouin Yoruichi is and I made sure she couldn't go out looking for her. It's for her own good," said Kari with a look at Toshiro.

"I just came to see what all that yelling was about in the barracks. What're you playing anyway?" asked Toshiro in a conversational tone.

"Rummy. Ever played it?"

"Never heard of it. How do you play?"

Kari gave him the basics of the game. It caught his interest, so he decided to join. Now there were three playing instead of just Yachiru and Kari. Around fifteen minutes later, Kari turned to Soifon and asked, "Have you calmed down now?"

"Yes…now will one of you get me out of this damn ice?!" she said, still irritable but nowhere near as pissed off as she was before.

"I think she's simmered down enough, don't you, Yachiru-chan?" said Kari amused.

"Yup! Maybe she'll play with us Candy girl!" replied Yachiru.

"Candy girl?" said Toshiro confused.

"I'll explain _after _I get Soifon-taicho out." Kari shrugs as she takes her Zanpaku-to and strikes the ice directly down the middle. The block splits cleanly into two separate halves; Soifon stretches after she escapes the ice, as her muscles are still numb from the cold. She sits down next to Yachiru and decides to watch their game.

"So what's with the nickname…um…" said Toshiro.

"It's Kari. And the reason she calls me Candy girl is because I gave her homemade hard candy that she really loves," explained Kari.

* * *

(The reason I titled this Fight Fight Revolution was because I was pointing out how Kari thought it was similar to _Dance Dance Revolution. _Just thought I should clear up any confusion.) 


	16. New allies

**New allies**

As Soifon's anger finally went away (for now), she joined them in their game. Kari even brought out some of her hard candy that Yachiru absolutely loved; Toshiro and Soifon were actually surprised that the girl had brought it to begin with.

"You're a really cool ryoka, Candy girl!" said Yachiru after she finished her first round.

"You're a ryoka?!" said Toshiro surprised.

"Well…I was. That's why Soifon-taicho and I were fighting earlier. But don't worry, I have NO intention of getting in the way of everyone else," said Kari with a laugh.

"If you are really a ryoka, then why are you…?" said Soifon, who still hadn't figured it out.

"Why am I now the fourth seat of the eleventh division?"

"That, and why aren't you in a cell by now?"

"Easy…I convinced Zaraki-taicho not to turn me in, and he gave me the seat position because I kept putting those pin heads in their place…how many times was it, Yachiru-chan?"

"Around four or five. Giving Candy girl the seat position was mostly to keep her from beating up the others any more."

"Though it might only serve as proof that I was sucking up to Yachiru and Zaraki," said Kari bored.

"Why would they…?" started Soifon.

"I hang out with Yachiru-chan a lot and give her free candy. She's the main reason I brought it with me in the first place. Though the others still can't get over the fact that I'm nice to the fourth division," said Kari.

"That's something you don't see everyday…someone from the eleventh actually being friendly towards the Medical Ops!" said Toshiro.

"Hey, they don't get enough credit. What they lack in strength they more than make up for with their usefulness. Who else would take care of those whiny fools from different divisions?"

"True," admitted Soifon.

"So why did you infiltrate the eleventh? Why not the fourth or the R and D?" asked Toshiro.

"11th was the best choice I had. It was the only one where fighting isn't considered a bad thing. It's the only one that suited my personality best."

"And because few would dare to oppose someone from that division," Soifon pointed out.

"Huh…that's one thing I never thought of. I guess my main reason that I choose that one is because I knew the captain and little Yachiru-chan better than the others."

"Meaning you knew how to manipulate them," said Soifon bored.

"Not really. They were just easier to get along with," said Kari, "Besides, Yachiru-chan is soooo Kuwaii!!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," said Toshiro.

"Kari, I've been meaning to ask, but how do you know that Yoruichi will find me on the day Rukia is executed?" asked Soifon, changing the subject.

"Well, technically she won't be executed at all. Ichigo will come and save her at the last minute. But I doubt you'd believe me if I told you the truth."

"Anything else you haven't told us?" asked Toshiro.

"Let's see…you suspect Ichimaru is up to something, right Toshiro-taicho?"

"How did you know…?"

"I also know exactly who's behind Rukia's execution."

"What?!"

"There's a plot that hasn't fully unfolded yet, and I can't tell you too much lest I make things worse than they already are," said Kari.

"Is there anything you can tell us that won't alter the future too much?" asked Toshiro, hopeful.

"There is _one _thing I think I should warn you about. Don't trust Aizen."

"What? Why Aizen?" asked Soifon.

"He's hiding something that you won't like," said Kari. (Oh joy, another one of her ominous warnings!)

"What?"

"Let's just say that not everything about him is what it appears. He's not who you believe he is," said Kari, choosing her words carefully.

"I guess we'll have to take your word for that."

"I know I might not seem trustworthy, but you have to believe me. Don't trust everything that you know about Aizen. And I recommend you keep an eye on Hinamori…just because she admires him doesn't mean she knows his true nature," said Kari.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out for yourself. When the execution date draws closer, then I'll be able to tell you more. But not until then," said Kari.

"Well, I've had enough warnings of the future to keep me confused for a few days. I'm going back to work," said Soifon.

"What do you say we get back to playing?" said Kari, changing the subject.

* * *

A few days later, Kari was keeping an eye on Aizen and his assistant captain. When she saw a familiar scene play out, she knew that she had to intervene somehow. As Hinamori rushed to make it to her meeting, she took a short-cut that would lead into a whole new nightmare. When the others showed up and saw 'Aizen' up on the tower, killed by his own Zanpaku-to, Hinamori was distraught, and wasn't thinking straight. She saw Ichimaru walking up, his usual grin on his face. She went temporarily insane and tried to 'avenge' the apparent death of her captain. Kira, the assistant captain of Ichimaru's division, went to block her. But before either of them could make contact, Hinamori suddenly went limp!

"Wha…?" said Kira, confused.

Kari appears out of nowhere and catches the now-unconscious Hinamori before she fell. She turned towards Ichimaru with an apparent scowl. (Doesn't like Ichimaru even if he was a captain!)

Toshiro approaches; he puts both Hinamori and Kira under arrest. Then he looks at Kari, who shot him a look saying, "I'll explain later!"

-----

"So how did you know to appear at that particular time?" asked Rangiku mildly confused.

"I have a certain source that had already warned me about Aizen's apparent 'death'," said Kari. (Toshiro notes she was using the term 'death' loosely. That sent an immediate warning up in his mind.)

"So why did you knock out Hinamori?" asked Toshiro.

"It seemed like a good idea to knock her out and spare her any more pain. At least it stopped her attack," Kari pointed out.

"True…so why do I sense that you're holding something from us?" asked Toshiro.

"Remember when I said that not everything about him is what it appears?"

"Yeah…I vaguely remember that bit," said Toshiro.

"Well I was mostly referring to his death. Don't believe what your eyes see. It's not what you think it is."

"Meaning there's a chance he isn't dead?" said Rangiku.

"It seems a little _too_ convenient, don't you think?" said Kari.

"What do you mean?" asked the two.

"Someone or something supposedly kills off Aizen for no apparent reason. The Seireitei is already in enough chaos over my friends being all over the place trying to save Rukia…so much so that the death of a captain wouldn't be made public in order to avoid panic. Seems that the timing is a little too good if you ask me," said Kari.

"You're right…the timing is good; too good for it to be a coincidence. So you're saying that there's something else going on that we can't see?" asked Toshiro.

"Yes…so what do you plan to do, Toshiro-taicho?" asked Kari.

"I'm going to continue as I usually do. But what you've told me won't be ignored. I'll be keeping my eye out for anything unusual…besides _you _and your friends," said Toshiro. (Kari heard the emphasis on 'you'. She grinned.)

"I'll give you one last piece of advice before I go. There's more than one person behind this plot."

"How many are there?!" asked Rangiku concerned.

"Three…but I can't say which ones yet. Two of them you've probably begun suspecting, but the third is someone who'll take you by surprise," said Kari vaguely. Before they could ask, she vanished.

* * *

She did her usual routine at her division; and then waited patiently for the incident when Hinamori and Kira _both_ broke out of the barracks. When Toshiro went after Hinamori in an effort to protect her, Kari appeared by his side from out of nowhere!

"What the…?!"

"I know what happened…and what will happen when you find Hinamori," she said calmly.

"What? Tell me, please!" said Toshiro urgently.

"That letter that Rangiku found addressed to Hinamori from Aizen… It implicates you as a conspirator against the Soul Society. In the state-of-mind Hinamori is in, she probably believes every word."

"What does that letter say?!"

"Would you like me to repeat it word-for-word?"

"You're kidding, right? I thought Hinamori was the only one who read it," said Toshiro.

"Well, do you want to know before you catch up to her or not?" retorted Kari.

"Fine."

-----

'_If you are reading this, I am probably dead. Therefore, I confide the truth of what I have discovered to the one I trust the most. The truth about why Rukia Kuchiki must be executed…and why the execution date keeps changing. In the course of my investigation, I reached a conclusion. The true goal of the execution is not to kill Rukia Kuchiki. The execution has been contrived so that something may be stolen. And that thing is…the Sokyoku. The Sokyoku, whose seal is only removed for executions has the destructive power of one million Zanpaku-to in its blade. The Takka has the defensive to power to block an equal number of Zanpaku-to. Furthermore, when used to execute a Soul Reaper, its power can be momentarily increased by several dozen times. The one who plotted Rukia Kuchiki's execution intends to use the Sokyoku to destroy not only the Seireitei, but the entire Soul Society as well. The name of that despicable person is…Toshiro Hitsuguya.'_

-----

"What!" said Toshiro in shock.

"Part of the letter was true. This whole execution nonsense is so something can be taken…but its not the Sokyoku. And I guarantee you that is _exactly _what the letter says word for word."

"But why…?"

"Why would Aizen write such nonsense? To turn her against you. She will attempt to kill you after you find her."

"How do I know what you say is true?! I barely even know you!" said Toshiro angrily.

"Look, if you don't believe me, then you'll have to believe it after we find Hinamori. You shouldn't be so damn suspicious of me, Toshiro! I am on _your _side!" said Kari irritably. That was when she remembered the rest.

"What?" asked Toshiro when he saw the look on her face.

"I almost forgot…the letter went on to say something else. And since Hinamori is too distraught to think straight, she _will_ do what it said on the letter."

"What else was on it?!" asked Hitsuguya in annoyance.

-----

'_Tonight I have called him out to the Higashi Daishoheki. I must foil his plan at all costs. If he will not back down, I am prepared to cross swords with him. But if I die, Hinamori, please carry on for me and kill him. That is my last wish. I ask this of you not as the captain of the 5__th__ company, but as a man.'_

-----

"Please tell me this is a sick joke," said Toshiro in complete disbelief.

"I wish…" grumbled Kari. They found Hinamori five minutes later. Hitsuguya's eyes widened as Hinamori said the letter's contents aloud from memory. _They were the EXACT same words Kari had said before!_

Hitsuguya tried to reason with her, but she was beyond help at that point, too delirious from her grief. He looked at Kari who shot him a '_Now do you believe me?!'_ look.

As he battled it out with Hinamori, he looked at Ichimaru. That was when something clicked in his mind.

"So is this more of your work, Ichimaru?! Aizen wasn't enough for you?" he said in fury. Before he could go after Ichimaru, Hinamori came out of nowhere and continued attacking him; he couldn't dodge or even block her, so he was forced to knock her out. As Hinamori fell, Kari caught the girl before she made contact with the ground.

"Hitsuguya, he is a part of this, but he wasn't the one who wrote that accursed letter," said Kari as she set Hinamori down gently.

"What?"

"That really _was _Aizen's doing. He's the one whose making her suffer…however…Gin Ichimaru isn't completely _innocent _in all of this!" replied Kari.

"I thought you looked familiar. You're the ryoka girl who somehow got Shinso to attack me at the gate," said Ichimaru in a casual tone.

"_Who said I was a ryoka now, snake-face?!"_ growled Kari. (Toshiro and Kira both stared at her because her growl sounded a little TOO similar to a dog!)

* * *

"Funny…everyone else says I look like a fox."

"Oh puh-lease. Naruto looks like a fox when he grins…you, on the other hand, remind me more of a deceiving snake!" snorted Kari…then she smirked, "Speaking of _foxes_…what took you so long, Kitsu?"

"_Its not easy to sneak out of a cell, Kari!"_ retorted the fox-familiar.

"What the…? Where'd that fox come from?" said Kira.

"He's no ordinary fox, is he, Kari?" said Hitsuguya. Everyone's eyes were on her as she took out a red-blue glove and knocked out Kitsu's true form out of the Gigai.

"Nope…he never was a normal familiar to begin with. I call him Kitsu for short, even though his true name is…" started Kari, who let the fox finish.

"_Kyuubi no Kitsune!"_ said Kyuubi evilly.

As Hitsuguya activated his Zanpaku-to's ability, Kyuubi and Kari protected Hinamori from his onslaught; when Gin tried to get rid of Toshiro, Rangiku was the one who blocked him from hitting the others. Ichimaru backed off after she appeared…he took his second in command with him. Hitsuguya took Hinamori to the fourth division and went with Kari and Kyuubi to a certain location where she had hid something important. She knew now was probably the best time to reveal her_ source_.


	17. A plot is revealed

**A plot is revealed**

"All right Kari, if that's really your name…" said Hitsuguya suspiciously.

"Who told you the contents of that letter? I thought only Hinamori had read it!" said Rangiku.

"She was the only one to read the original. But there's something I try not to let too many in on. I'm not a normal girl," said Kari.

"We could tell that by looking at you," they said in unison.

"Woah…stereo. Anyway, the reason I knew what was in that letter is because I'm an anime and manga otaku…a big one."

"Ha-ha, now what's the real reason?!" said Toshiro, not believing her.

"You didn't believe me before, and look what happened," Kari pointed out.

"Maybe, but knowing events before they happened simply because you're an otaku doesn't make any sense!" retorted Toshiro.

"It does if you look on the cover of vol. 16 from Bleach," said Kari as she handed him the manga volume.

"I don't…what the hell?! Is that me?!" said Toshiro in surprise.

"Yup…you had an almost identical reaction that Urahara and Yoruichi had. Anyway, the contents of that letter, as well as your fight (with a few minor changes) are in that particular volume. Oh, and Rukia's execution date will be pushed up again."

"This is getting confusing…" said Rangiku.

"That's what I said the day I first came to Japan, and look where I am now," said Kari amused.

"What?"

"I haven't always been so good at Japanese…I'm originally from another continent called America. Before I came to Japan, Hollows and Soul Reapers were just characters out of my Bleach manga."

"This is still making no sense."

"I was attacked my first night after I arrived in Japan. I ended up with a busted up bicycle and sprained ankle in Urahara's shop," Kari continued.

"So the reason you're able to use other Zanpaku-to is…?" said Rangiku.

"I guess it's because I'm a huge fan of the series…so much so that I memorized the names and attacks. Something must have clicked when I first started trying to get my Soul Reaper powers," said Kari with a shrug. She noted with amusement that Toshiro's confusion was growing as he attempted to read the book.

"I can't even read a word this says!" he said in frustration.

"That would be because you've never had to read in _English _before. I was the same way before I learned Japanese. So now do you believe me?" said Kari.

* * *

"I do. After seeing you help Hitsuguya-taicho with Hinamori, I'm more willing to believe what you say." 

"I'm more inclined to believe you as well, since you did show us where you got your information."

"The reason I did that is because I trust you. I would have shown Soifon or Yachiru, but I didn't want to risk it."

"So what do we do now?"

"Now we have to wait until we get the announcement that Rukia's execution is tomorrow at noon."

"What?!"

"Before I go with you to investigate the truth, I need to go get something."

"What? Another manga volume?" said Toshiro sarcastically.

"Hana-chan's Zanpaku-to, Hisagomaru. Its ability allows it to _heal _wounds instead of inflicting them…at least until the red gauge on the hilt is full. Then it returns the wounds it healed to the enemy."

"I have just one question then…is Aizen dead and is Ichimaru working with him."

"No and yes. Aizen wasn't dead…that was his Zanpaku-to you saw."

"How?"

"His sword can make others see things that they believe to be real, correct? He used his sword to fool everyone. Ichimaru was in on this entire thing…as well as one other. Any more questions?"

"You said before that part of the letter Aizen wrote was true. That this entire execution was staged to steal something. What were you referring to?"

"The thing he is trying to steal is the very reason Urahara had to get away from the Soul Society…if it fell in the wrong hands, then everyone would be in danger…from a Hollow/Soul Reaper crossbreed."

"No…how is that…?!"

"The thing he created, the thing he couldn't destroy even though he tried, was an item that could blur the difference between Soul Reapers and Hollows so badly that the line would become almost _nonexistent_. He ran away in order to prevent it from falling in the wrong hands."

"I can't believe he would make something like that…" said Toshiro.

"I think his motto is similar to one I know very well. 'Anything worth doing is worth _over_doing'." (This is the MYTHBUSTERS favorite motto!)

"So what are you going to do?" asked Rangiku.

"I'm going to the execution. I think we should warn them before they kill her. Want to know why Rukia was sentenced to die?"

"She has the device inside her."

"Wow…you really are a genius," said Kari impressed.

"What's going to happen while you're at the execution?"

"You two are going to the Central 42 and find out why the date kept changing…and you encounter Ichimaru's assistant captain. You two both go after him, only to find out that Hinamori followed you. She discovers Aizen wasn't dead and fails to realize she's in danger until he gives her a deadly wound. Toshiro…well, I shouldn't reveal any more. I'm going to go get Hanatoro's Zanpaku-to. I'll meet up with you inside the council room."

* * *

As she headed towards the execution ground, she knew that she probably wasn't going to get much approval for appearing. Sure enough, Soifon wasn't too happy to see her. 

"What're you doing here, Kari?! You're not a captain or an assistant captain!"

"I'm here to prevent someone from dying. She's not the one you want," said Kari.

"Whatever. Where's your captain?"

"He's fighting one of the people you _should _be after," replied Kari.

"Sure… I'll believe that when I see it," snorted Soifon.

"Oh? That orange haired ryoka/substitute Soul Reaper will block the blade in its final release with just his Zanpaku-to. And it WILL happen."

"And how many will show up?"

"Less than half. You, Unohana-taicho, Byakuya-Taicho, Ukitake-taicho, the General, and another whose name I can't remember."

"You're right…but what about the others?"

"Aizen and Ichimaru will be fighting against Hitsuguya in the Central Council room, while my captain will be fighting Tosen and Komamura."

"Aizen is dead. You saw his body on that wall just like we did."

"Actually, all I saw was a blurry form of a Zanpaku-to. Unlike you and the others, I need glasses to see anything clearly; and this is the first time I've ever seen Aizen in person, so it didn't affect me as much," explained Kari.

"Sure…whatever. Just stay out of the way."

"Will…_(not)_…do."

"What was that? I didn't catch that," said Soifon.

"Nothing…I said 'will (not) do!"

"You do know…?"

"I know…if I get in the way then you won't hesitate to kick my ass. You're no fun sometime, Soifon-san," said Kari.

"That's taicho to you!"

"It's easier to say 'san' than 'taicho'."

"We'll take about this after the execution," said Soifon irritably.

"I'm telling you, the execution will not HAPPEN."

-----

When Rukia was lifted up to the air, Kari waited patiently for the Sokyoku to be released. Then she said loudly, "You do know that this whole thing is a set-up for something else, right, Byakuya-taicho?"

"What're talking about, Kari-san?" asked Unohana.

"I mean that the ones who concocted Rukia's execution _wasn't_ the Central 42. Someone's using this entire execution as a cover-up!" said Kari.

"What proof do you have?!" said the General irritably. (Didn't like her little outburst.)

"If you don't believe me, then go to the Central Council room and see for yourself! Everyone is _dead._ They have been ever since those R and D idiots found Rukia. Aizen isn't dead either," Kari said, equally irritable.

"That's not possible. We would have…" started the General.

"Would have known? Not likely. Aizen, Ichimaru, and a third person have been making all the decisions from the Central 42 the entire time…there was always at least _one _of them in the room, except during the captain's meeting. That's why Aizen staged his own death," said Kari.

"How do we know this isn't a stalling tactic?" asked Byakuya.

"Ichigo Kurosaki has already achieved _Bankai in less than three days._ He will appear and stop this thing if I can't. You can quote me on that if you want," retorted Kari.

"I'll deal with you later, loud-mouth," hissed Soifon.

"If you don't believe me, then go ahead and try to kill her. Ichigo _will _appear."

* * *

Ichigo did appear…as the assistant captains attempted to stop Renji from getting away with Rukia, Kari snorted.

"You're wasting your time. Your assistant will be the first to get knocked out Soifon, then the first company's assistant captain, followed by Unohana-taicho's assistant. Byakuya will finally go after Ichigo after Unohana's assistant is down."

Sure enough, it happened _exactly_ as she said it. That was when Soifon looked at her in wide eyes.

"How… How did you…?"

"I read a lot. Now, for my disappearing act…!" said Kari before Soifon could react.

-----

As she appeared in the room, she saw that Toshiro had yet to attack Aizen. She immediately tapped him on the shoulder with a wink.

"_You take care of Hinamori, I'll deal with Aizen! Mind if I borrow Hyorinmaru?"_

"Sure…good luck. You're going to need it; Hyorinmaru might not work for you."

"Trust me, he will listen to me once he realizes what is at stake."

* * *

**Who're you supposed to be?**

_My name is Kari. Nice to meet ya, Hyorinmaru._

**Where's Hitsuguya?!**

_He's protecting Hinamori. Mind if I use your Bankai and vision?_

**Bankai I can understand, but _vision_?**

_The only way I can avoid being caught by Aizen's stupid Zanpaku-to is by taking off my glasses. My vision is a bit blurry, so it'll be hard for me to see anything in this place. Think you can handle using me as a medium?_

**In other words you're just a puppet. This'll be different…**

* * *

"He doesn't mind. Make sure to keep away from the pissed off ice-dragon, okay, Toshiro?" joked Kari as she handed him her glasses.

"He's _that _mad?"

"He never did like Aizen's Zanpaku-to. So the fact that he's letting me use Bankai means he's _really _mad."

_-----_

_I'm ready when you are, Hyorinmaru._

-----

**"_Bankai!"_** said Kari/Hyorinmaru.

"What?!" said Aizen in shock.

"Oh, I forgot to warn you that the girl has some sort of ability that lets her use Zanpaku-to _other_ than her own," said Ichimaru bored.

**"**_**Daiguran Hyorinmaru!"** _(Translation: Great Crimson Ice Ring.)

At first Toshiro thought he knew what his sword's final release looked like. But when Kari used it, Hyorinmaru took a completely _different_ form. Instead of the head being on the sword itself, or any part of her body with only partial transformation, she had literally taken the form of Hyorinmaru! The sword itself was at the tip of the tail, swinging like a scythe.

"I don't believe it…that looks _nothing _like my Bankai!" said Toshiro in disbelief.

* * *

**"_Interesting…seems the girl has a love of dragons. That would explain the different form…"_** murmured Hyorinmaru. (By murmured, I mean the only one who could even understand him was Toshiro. All the others heard was a lot of growling.)

"What…? How are you…?" said Toshiro in shock.

**"_The girl loves dragons…more so than foxes it seems. Right now all she wants to do is bite Ichimaru's head off, followed by Aizen."_**

"Knock yourself out."

Hyorinmaru/Kari roared for good measure. (Even though they both knew she would have one hell of a sore throat in the morning!)

They flew towards Aizen, since he posed a greater threat. As they drew closer, it became very obvious to Kari that he was a doppelganger sword. She veered off towards the _other_ Aizen, which was the real one. Their attack caught him off-guard; he thought they'd fall for the fake like everyone else. The onslaught continued for five minutes straight. Then Aizen did something that took her off-guard; he used Toshiro and Hinamori as a barrier.

**"_Do you have NO shame man?!"_**

Due to his cold-hearted tactic, he gained the perfect moment to attack; he struck at the very core of the Shinigami/Zanpaku-to dragon. Kari and Hyorinmaru barely managed to separate in time, but the damage was done. That was when Toshiro retook his sword and tried his luck. Kari came to a moment later. When Unohana and her assistant arrived, Toshiro was near death along with Hinamori. Right as Ichimaru and Aizen prepared to vanish back to the execution grounds, Kari managed to get into their teleport and went along for the ride.

* * *

"Looks like we have a hitchhiker," commented Ichimaru.

"So it appears," said Aizen as he prepared to attack Kari. It was then that Kari realized something._ She heard another voice calling out to her from Hikari no Kage! _


	18. Limitations reached

**Limitations reached**

Her surroundings blacked out as she could clearly see a new and somewhat unfamiliar figure in front of her. It appeared to be an angel…even though she never actually believed in them. That was when she realized who it was.

"Krad…" she said in a hushed whisper.

**"_I was known as Krad when you first learned of me. But now that I am a part of you, call me Yami no Hikari."_**

"Darkness of Light? Oh well…I've heard worse. Mind if I just call you Yami?"

**"_Eh…I guess that's acceptable as well. Now get up and fight!"_**

"With what, my looks?! I'm barely able to stand, let alone FIGHT!"

**"_Don't give me excuses. If you need reitsu, then ask!"_**

"Will you…fight with me, Yami?" Hikari asked, reluctantly.

**"_Good girl. Yes, I will fight alongside you."_**

She could feel the surge of reitsu course through her as Yami became one with her soul. She could sense that everything would work out fine, that things would be alright. How Hikari knew this, she didn't know. As she stood up, she looked at Aizen, who began to walk towards Rukia. She knew there was only one way to help Rukia and Renji.

* * *

"She doesn't have it! Rukia doesn't have the Hogyoku!" yelled Hikari. 

"What? What do you mean?" said Renji, confused.

"It's what Aizen's really after. He orchestrated this whole thing to get his hands on it!"

"Captain Aizen, is that true?! Are you really the one behind this?"

"And who told you that, young lady? It's absurd…" said Aizen.

"Yeah, so is Yoruichi acting normal and not turning into a feline every ten minutes!" retorted Hikari.

"And what would you know of Yoruichi?"

"I know she's as normal as I am. And I also know she's a lot kinder than you'll ever be!" growled Hikari, preparing to charge Aizen.

"And what exactly were **you** planning on doing?" said Aizen calmly.

"I was thinking of stopping you."

"And how were you…"

* * *

"_How do I initiate the second release?!"_ Hikari hissed. 

_**Do you really have to ask? You are the wielder, are you not? This is YOUR fanfic…**_

_Ack! What're you talking about?!_

_**I mean you created this fic, so you KNOW how to activate the second initial release!**_

_Yeah…about that…_

_**WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE NOW?**_

_I'm drawing a blank here…can I still activate Hisagomaru?_

_**NO…even if you ARE well acquainted with Hanatoro, your body can't hold any more reitsu than I've given you! YOU'LL HAVE TO USE YOUR OWN NOW!!!!**_

_Damn! Here goes nothing…_

**"Embrace the Darkness, Hikari no Kage!"** said Kari clearly as everyone present was enveloped in darkness. The only ones who weren't affected by it were Tosen and Kari.

* * *

"Welcome to the darkness boys… Get comfy, cause it will become your grave…" said Kari coldly. 

**So…the girl can see in the dark. Does she not realize I too, am accustomed to being in the darkness?**

"Oh, and Tosen, don't think I've forgotten that you're blind and don't need to see to hit me."

"Then why did you proceed to bring us to this dark world?" said Tosen calmly.

"Because unlike you, I'm used to being in the dark and the silence that ensues. You however, are only used to not being able to see."

"What? If this truly is a dark silence, then why did I hear you now?"

"Because I asked Kyuubi-san and Yami-san, to allow you to hear. Now you shall hear nothing!" smirked Kari.

* * *

"This…silence…is unnatural!" said Renji in a hushed whisper. 

"Heh…if you think this is bad, you should try my room at night when I'm asleep! This is nothing!" laughed Kari.

"Wait…how can I hear you?!"

"Because you are on my side you dolt. I _let _you two have your hearing back. Now shut up and let me finish this!"

As she prepared to charge, something inside her snapped. She stumbled slightly, then continued on as if she didn't notice it. But she did…and she knew what it meant. She had to end it quick, or she would die.

* * *

Aizen felt the bite of her blade sink deep into his right shoulder. Ichimaru felt it in his left, and Tosen felt it in his left leg. As she got a safe distance from the three, she felt her knees buckle. 

_What? Why can't I move my legs?_

_**You've reached your limit. If we gave you any more your body would become dependent on us.**_

_NOW YOU TELL ME THIS?!  
__**We can't help you! You're on your own now!**_

_Damn Soul Reaper powers…_

* * *

Right before she passed out, she vaguely remembered the point where she ran into Ichigo, Ganju and Hanatoro as well as her fellow squad members. 

_Flashback to a few weeks ago…_

Hanatoro had gotten split apart by accident from his group, and saw several other Soul Reapers standing around and decided to ask for directions. (But, being the klutz he is…) Hanatoro tripped on a loose stone and fell through the other Shinigami, and then into more trouble as he met Ichigo and Ganju.

-----

_Kari was running late and decided to take a short-cut. She nearly fell face first as the way was blocked by her fellow squad members. She stopped short and coughed quietly, yet clearly enough to be heard._

-----

One of the Soul Reapers turned to come face-to-face with one cranky Kari!

"4th seat Kari-san! What're you doing here?!" he exclaimed. The others turned at sound of her name.

"I'm running late, so _get out of my way!_" she hissed annoyed.

"We can't. There're two ryoka and we're not supposed to give them a way out."

"Ryoka? Let me see these ryoka!" she growled.

They parted just enough for her to see the two, and she snorted.

"Hello Ichigo and Ganju," she said irritably.

"Kari?! What're you doing here? And why aren't they after you too?" said Ichigo confused.

"Because I'm the fourth seat of the 11th squad you dolt. Now let these two bumbling fools pass…" Kari said clearly.

"But Kari-san, they're ryoka!" protested another.

"Let me put this in terms even you bakas can understand…Dandelion-head over here is the strongest of the ryoka who came in. Do you really think the captain would like us turning these twits in _before _he has a chance to fight him?!"

"Nani!"

Around this point Hanatoro stumbled into the ring where Ichigo and Ganju stood. They took him hostage, and Kari looked like she was trying hard not to burst out in cold maniacal laughter.

"You two are even _dumber _than you look! Do you really think taking him as hostage would work with them?!" Kari laughed coldly.

"But we've got a hostage!" said Ichigo confused. He hissed to Hanatoro to look scared… (like he really needed to do that!)

"Are you two blind as well as imbecilic? Take a look at his uniform morons! He's not from our squad!" snorted Kari. (It pretty much follows the anime up till the point where they realize Hanatoro wasn't the best choice for a hostage.)

"You 2 might as well let Hana-chan go…or I'll kill you if they don't."

"Who's Hana-chan?" asked Ichigo.

"Um…that's Kari-san's nickname for me…" said Hanatoro embarrassed.

"But 'Hana' means flower…" said Ichigo surprised.

"Back off Strawberry… This is not the time you'd want to get on my nerves…" growled Kari.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Let's just say the 'Week From Hell' is not the best time to piss me off…" replied Kari.

"Week From…aw crap…" said Ichigo as he figured out what she meant.

"Let him go or you'll face me and not THEM…" she growled.

"Ganju…who would you rather face. A girl with a very cranky attitude or a bunk of muscle-headed fools intent on killing us?" asked Ichigo nervously.

"Muscle-headed idiots…why?"

"Because the way she's looking at us, we don't have much time left to live."

_

* * *

_

The dark silence dissipated in an instant. It happened so quickly that no one other than Kari and Tosen could see for a few moments. As a result, neither Aizen nor Ichimaru saw her coming. She spun around, her weapon sinking into their skin with eerie accuracy. When they could see again, they were mildly surprised. Where her blade had been there was now a harmless looking fan.

The fan's edges seemed to seamlessly flow into each other, as if it were really made of cloth. The tip extended slightly past the end, and had an intricate design of a white dragon. Near her hand were two cords, one white and one black. They seemed to wrap around her wrist and weave into each other. The way she twirled the fan indicated she had been taught how to use it in a delicate dance.

Kari turned towards Aizen, then began to charge him as if she wanted to end it quickly. She tried not to let him see her exhaustion, and silently prayed she wouldn't fall unconscious. If she fell unconscious, it would be relatively easy to kill her. As she drew closer to her target, she neglected to notice someone come up from behind. Ichimaru hit her hard at the base of the neck, knocking her out completely.

"I wondered when she'd finally _stay _down for once," commented Ichimaru.

"She is very troublesome…perhaps we should rid ourselves of her before she wakes up," replied Aizen.

"I couldn't agree with you more," said Ichimaru as he prepared to strike her.

* * *

**He could sense she was in danger, and rushed to protect her. Kari, Anne, no matter what name she took up, she was always there for him. Even if he _WAS _a bloodthirsty monster hell-bent on revenge…**

**He drew nearer to the Execution Grounds where she lay helpless. He could see the cold-hearted man known as Gin Ichimaru prepared to slay her, which he could NOT allow! He lunged, narrowly avoiding the blade, knocking the man down to the ground.**

* * *

"_Leave the girl alone! If it's a fight you want, then you'll have to contend with me!" _roared the enraged Fox Demon known as Kyuubi no Kitsune. 

"Well, well…if it isn't her little pet fox. Looks like he came to save his foolish master," said Ichimaru from under him.

"_I am no one's pet, you pathetic mortal!" _growled Kitsu. (He was in familiar form if you hadn't guessed.)

"Ichimaru, who's this fox and why did it jus attack you?" asked Aizen, confused.

"This annoying kitsune is the girl's pet. As for why it attacked…my guess is to save its beloved mistress."

"_I AM NOT HER $&() PET! I AM HER FAMILIAR!"_

"What's your point fox?" smirked Ichimaru.

"_A pet has no powers while familiars are supernatural creatures summoned to the physical plane. And…I can also do this!" _Kitsu smirked back as he grasped Kari's Zanpaku-to with one of his tails and roared…

**"_Embrace the darkness, Hikari no Kage!"_**

Gin was quickly enveloped in darkness once more. His eyes opened slightly from surprise.

* * *

Around this time Komamura arrived and confronted Tosen. This distracted Kitsu long enough for Gin to break away, and the fox immediately went to Kari in concern. Komamura was quickly tricked into drawing closer to Kari and Kitsu, so Aizen could attempt to get rid of all three at once. He used a Kido that was very hard to master, and could barely unleash a third of its power. But he underestimated Kitsu's true power. They came out unscathed. Only Kitsu remained standing… 


	19. Aftermath

**Aftermath…**

It had been three hours since Aizen escaped to Hueco Mundo. The fourth squad was in chaos as they tried to heal the wounded. Hanatoro personally healed Kari, and then helped carry her down to the fourth division healing station. By the time she came too, she had a LOT of visitors.

"Ow…where…where am I?" she said slowly.

"Kari-san, you're awake!" said Hanatoro, relieved.

"Good to see you up again Kari," said Yumichika and Ikkaku.

"Yay! Candy-girl's okay!" said Yachiru happily.

"I'm awake with a real nasty headache. Now where am I and what happened?!" she demanded, irritable.

"Candy-girl is grumpy today," said Yachiru disappointed.

"What did you expect from a N.A.M.P.?" chuckled Ikkaku.

"NAMP? What's that?" asked Hanatoro.

"Not…" started Kari.

"A…" continued Yachiru.

"Morning…" said Ikkaku.

"Person…" finished Yumichika with a laugh.

"Kari, you should seriously consider creating an organization for fellow NAMP Shinigami."

"I know…I already know the perfect name for it too!" laughed Kari.

"What?"

"The guild of Non-Morning People!"

Her fellow squad members all laughed. Hanatoro was still clueless as to what the joke was.

"Um…"

"Sorry Hana-chan! It's just I'm never someone you'd want to cross first thing in the morning when I'd just woken up. These three generally avoid me until I've had my morning dose of caffeine…" chuckled Kari.

"Oh…"

Kari felt her eyes begin to droop. They all noticed, and decided to let her sleep some more.

* * *

Three days later…

"I am soooo glad to finally be out of bed again! No offense Hana-chan, but it is kinda boring in your division when your stuck in bed all day!" laughed Kari.

"Yeah…I know. The entire squad has been swamped with the injured, and I don't know how we're gonna deal with your squad once they're well enough to complain!" said Hanatoro.

"Well, I think I know how to help with that problem…"

"How?"

"You'll see…" said Kari mysteriously, before disappearing.

"Well I am glad to see you up again, Kari-san," said Unohana.

"It's good to be out of bed, Unohana-taicho."

"Is there something you needed, Kari-san? We are a bit busy at the moment, what with all the wounded…"

"Actually there is. Hanatoro-kun reminded me of a certain problem that is sure to arise very quickly once squad 11 is back up and running again."

"Oh? And what problem is that, Kari-san?"

"My squad has never been on equal grounds with yours, at least not until I came in. I was wondering if it would be alright to help your division with the wounded…at least until things settle down again."

"So you wish to volunteer? That is certainly a strange request, Kari-san."

"It will certainly keep the whining fools from my own squad from complaining too much though. I just wanted to know if it was okay to help out is all…" said Kari nervously.

"You are more than welcome to help out, Kari-san. Do your best!" said Unohana.

"Arigato, Unohana-taicho…" said Kari as she left to help out.

"What the…Since when is there an 11th squad seat helping out the 4th?!" said one of the Shinigami.

"Since when do we care?" retorted another.

"Hello boys! How do you feel today?" said Kari cheerfully.

"Fine…Aren't you an officer of the 11th division?" the first one asked.

"Yes…I'm the 4th seat. Why?"

"The why are you helping out with the 4th division? I thought you lot hated them!"

"Just because I belong to the 11th doesn't mean I automatically hate the 4th. I'm only helping out because they're swamped," said Kari with a glare.

"O-okay…" said the Shinigami nervously. (Everyone had heard of her temper…and her little problem of sending people into the critical care unit for crossing her.)

"I must say, Kari-san, this is certainly the first time your division has been so cooperative with us. None of them have even dared to insult us since you started helping out!" said the third seat of squad 4.

"Probably because they know they'd have to deal with _me_ if they messed with any of you."

"I must admit though…I did have some misgivings when you offered to volunteer in around here…"

"I know… But I figured I might as well help out since I'll get bored otherwise," shrugged Kari.

* * *

Kari helped out for several days, and as a result, the squad members of the 11th division rarely raised a hand against the 4th division. Even Yachiru helped out with the work. (Kari convinced her…though how was anyone's guess.) Then came the day that Ichigo and the others had to return to the Human world…

"But Kari-san, why do you have to go with Ichigo to the Human world?" asked Hanatoro, upset.

"Because my real body is in the human world, and if I don't go back I might die for real! And I really don't want to have to wear a Gigai. Besides…I have certain things that need to be taken care of. I'll be back soon, kay?" said Kari reassuringly.

"Kari-san…"

"I'll come back, I promise," repeated Kari.

After dealing with the Cleaner, and then falling into another one of Urahara's inventions, Kari was relieved to see home again. As soon as they landed, Kari immediately went back into her own body. (Although it was a bit thinner than she remembered.)

_

* * *

_

"Morning Kari-chan!" said Urahara cheerfully.

"Morning Kisuke-san."

"So how did you enjoy your little visit to the Seireitei?"

"Yeah, about that…" said Kari carefully.

"What's wrong? Did they find out you were a Ryoka and lock you up?"

"Nope…you're talking to the 4th seat of the 11th squad," smirked Kari.

"What…! I can't believe you got a seat position in just a few weeks!"

"Yup…which means the only place I can visit is the Human world. I mostly came back to tell you the news. That and I have a few things I need to take care of."

"Like what?"

"Like getting a laptop and retrieving my body. I can't leave it lying around you know," Kari pointed out.

"True. How are you going to explain why you're wearing a ryoka outfit when you return though?"

"I plan on making a Soul Reaper outfit to wear back."

"I'll help you then. But only if you tell me how your first trip there was like," said Urahara.

"Deal."  
Kari told him all about the Soul Society, he listened with avid interest. When she finished, Urahara was looking at her with wide eyes.

"You became the 4th seat and somehow got the 11th division to start giving the fourth the respect they deserved?! You continue to amaze me, you know that?"

"Thanks…I do try my best," chuckled Kari.

* * *

When she prepared to return to the Seireitei, she had quite a few things with her. She had a new laptop (with a special modification so she could surf the net in the Soul Society), a set of Happy Bunny pjs (for Rukia), a lot of hard and soft candy (for Yachiru) and various other things. She bid her friends a short-lived good-bye, then went back into the Seireitei and headed straight to her room. Next, she gathered up a few of her items and went to see a few of her friends.

She stopped at Rukia's room and dropped off her little surprise with a note; _I know how bummed you are about the fact Ichigo left, so I brought something to cheer you up. Kari._

She ran into Yachiru and gave the girl the soft candy, and then went to see Rangiku to give her something. Instead she ran into Yumichika.

"Kari? I didn't know you were back!" said Yumichika surprised.

"Yup…and I brought you and Ikkaku-kun something. Here…" said Kari as she handed him a mirror.

"What's this?"

"A mirror. I know how much you enjoy beauty and all, so now you can look at yourself all you want."

"Thanks…what did you get for Ikkaku?"

"This…think you can give it to him for me? I have to give the others their stuff too," said Kari, handing him the gift.

"Sure…" said Yumichika, running off to find Ikkaku.

She ran into Rangiku and gave her the things, then found the others. When she finished, she went back to her room, got something and went out into a small clearing where no one would bother her. She set it up, then laid down and relaxed.

ONE HOUR LATER…

"Kari-san! Where're you?" yelled Hanatoro.

"Hana-kun! Why're you yelling?" retorted Kari.

"Yachiru-san was looking for you…"

"Ah…probably wants the rest of that candy I'll wager."

"Actually it might be because of that seat meeting you missed…"

"Seat meeting?! I thought they only had those for lieutenant or above!"

"Well we have meetings too…"

"Hanatoro-kun…I think I need to do something before I go batty…" said Kari.

"Kari-san? What's wrong?" asked Hanatoro, concerned because she didn't use his usual nickname.

"It's just…I know what's going to happen. I need to find how to use my Bankai before it's too late to try…"

"Kari-san, where are you…?"

"I can't say how or where I'm going; just know I'll come back when you need me, Hana-chan…"

"Kari…"

"I'll be back, just you wait. Until then, I'll be seeing you, Hana-kun!" said Kari as she gathered the things she needed, and prepared to leave, even though she just got back. She knew if any of the other found out she was leaving again, they'd want to know why. So she came up with an ingenious trick to keep them off-guard. She left her original soul behind, and only left with her Shinigami form and a Gigai. Since her Soul Reaper form and true form were so similar, she doubted they would be able to tell the dif. She left the Soul Society and her life behind, to try and discover how to bring forth her Bankai. She didn't look back as she left…

* * *

(Yeah, I know this is a really bad way to end the fic. But, I am continuing it! Next up Kari will test her luck and skills as she lives in the world of D N Angel! ((Yes, I know it's another D.N.Angel fic, so sue me!)) Enjoy!) 


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